Hey guys, welcome back to Trappy Unicorns. I'm your host Kendra Beavis and in this episode is like straight up magical. If you're someone who's ever felt called to do something bigger, even though it's scary, if you've ever questioned your identity when life maybe pulled the rug out from under you, or if you're navigating your own spiritual awakening and wondering how to do it Listen in because we are talking with the fabulous Gina Starbuck, a performer turned energy healer, embodiment guide, medicine woman, and retreat leader. Gina's journey from performing on stages around the world to leading people through deep soul work is absolutely inspiring. And the way that she holds space for both the magic and the messiness of being human is something everyone needs to hear that's just starting their spiritual journey or struggling with how to live in both spaces in a real honest way. So. Let's dive in, grab a cup of coffee, here we go. Hey, Gina. Welcome to the podcast. I'm so excited you're here. I'm so excited to be here. Thank you for having me. I feel like I must belong in the tribe of unicorns. Oh, absolutely. So we connected on social media and I binged your content and I was showing my husband like all of it on the phone. I'm like, this woman, I can't wait to talk to her. She's so cool. I love your vibe. I think everything that you're doing and have done is so interesting. So I would just love to start with like, why don't you tell us a little bit about where you are and we can kind of get into your past roles and who you are today and what you're working on today. Sure, okay, this is a loaded question here. Where am I? I'm currently in Los Angeles, California, where I have been living for, gosh, 20 some odd years now in this area. I have a beautiful daughter, a nine-year-old little girl who I'm a mama to and a couple of dogs and a cat and my partner, my daughter's dad. I do travel a lot, most often for retreats, leading retreats all over the world. I'm gonna be going to Egypt in just a couple of weeks. I can't wait to talk about that. And, you know, I spent a lot of my lifetime, especially my early adult life, also traveling the world, but more so as a performer, dancer, choreographer, doing various tours and shows and teaching jobs sort of all over the world. And around the time, I would say I was like in my late 20s. I'm in my early 40s now. I had just been doing so much in the industry and I sort of started to get these downloads like something's gonna change something's changing it was like that you know when you can feel a storm rolling in it was like almost ominous for me but in that there were these like these little blips of like intuitive knowing that sort of kept guiding me in the direction of like this teacher and this mentor and find this modality. And even around that time I started traveling, but not just for work. I went to Bali, I went to Malta, I started getting called to sacred sites at that time to start to sort of like gather pieces of myself and to have these initiations. And fast forward to today, I am still traveling the world, still dancing. still choreographing, but you know more so sharing the embodiment pieces and the creative expression pieces as a tool of modality for liberation, for self-discovery. for healing and really to help support mostly women I work with, but I also work with all genders at various times. But it's really about this coming home journey and coming home and also feeling really safe and alive in the experience of letting yourself loose, like letting your soul emerge through your life, through your body, through your creations. So it's been quite a journey, but that's kind of like the short. Yeah, the truncated version. So I mean, you still have a great career as a performer. Was that scary for you when you started getting these downloads and everything could possibly change, everything that you've worked for? How did that feel? It was something like it was an initiation and like a death and rebirth cycle that really happened over time. But the short answer to your question is yes, it was definitely scary. And there were moments where I was like very surrendered to it. And then there were moments where I was very resistant and what I really realized in that process, which sort of had its final unraveling when I became a mom. And I had some challenges with my birth, which created some health challenges and some emotional challenges. And anyone who's become a mom knows that it is a whole ass initiation and life change in itself. But I think for me, what had started to happen in the industry is that I had become, I was definitely still, I think I've sort of always maintained this very like authentic, this is who I am, I know who I am, I've never questioned who I am. But so many people sort of learned a version of me that they really loved, that they really exalted, that they really counted on for their own. benefit, maybe, which is not a negative thing. But when you start to, you know, sort of evolve out of that version, or transcend or become something else, but you've got like a whole world of humans who are kind of holding you in that identity, it can become this like internal battle. And then you start to look at like so much of my value and my orientation to myself and who I was and who I am was so tied into Gina the performer, Gina the choreographer, Gina the dance icon, you know, whatever we want to call it. That when I was like, I don't know that I want to be doing this anymore or things are changing. It's like, how do you maintain your value in the world was like a big question that I had to really look at and examine and be with. So yes, was definitely. oh it is, I mean, so many things about what you just said are really, you know, standing out. having a role that you play in other people's lives. That's uh a whole topic just there. But I think the courage to stand up and say, this is really not who I am anymore, and I'm going to take a step in this direction. And if everyone's going to follow, great. And if they're not, then I release all of that, and that's fine too. How did you give yourself that? Where did you find the courage? you I think in some ways I've found the courage and in some ways I was forced into the courage. There were so many things that happened around that time and this like sort of identity changeover that I really had no control over. Like I felt them coming, but they were like such interesting, wild, like rug getting pulled out from under me kinds of moments that started to happen. you know, it's funny, I'm feeling into something that's kind of been occurring now. in my world it's definitely not the same but there's just some things that have been happening like in the back end of my business that have been like a little bit shocking and surprising and it's like one of those things it's like when the rug gets pulled out from underneath you and you get surprised when someone miscommunicates or you know or you get rejected or whatever it is right like you can choose you can choose to let it take you out and that's okay. There's medicine in that too and I've done that at various times in my life. You can choose to go into the mud and the muck and let yourself roll around in it and get overcome with fear, anxiety, whatever. Or you can just say, okay, this is happening. Like what is the gift? What is this pointing me toward? Because if I can't go back there, I could try, but if I can't, it doesn't... It doesn't support me in any way to do anything, but just choose a direction and start to move. And for me, this is like always sort of the remedy. I don't want to say always, because sometimes we need to sit with things, but it's like the movement, like where am I going? And if it's, if it's wrong, fine. Like if I decide I'm going to go this way and then I hit a a block in the road, I can always redirect. But if I'm not moving, I'm not moving. And so. Yeah, I think for me it was just a lot of just redirection. Like, all right, let me try this thing. it always kind of funny how like the universe will, you know, we think one thing and like, I know myself, I've tried to like push so hard on something that like I've invested so much time into or, know, whatever it is. And like at my core, I know this is not the right path, but I'm already so pot committed. I've, you made this huge show of all this work and all this time. And then the universe just says, if you're not going to do it, we're going to do it for you. And all of sudden it just all blows up and you're like, okay, well, fine. Yes, absolutely. That happens all the time. And I like to think of it lately as like the creative process. Like I think about as a choreographer when I was doing it like full time for a job, I wasn't I did it for a job, but I also did it just because I loved it. Like I was so immersed in the creative process. And I think, gosh, at least 50 % of everything I ever created as a choreographer didn't do anything. didn't get seen. I wasn't getting paid for it, whatever, but I was doing it because I loved it. And so I like to bring that into my business now that it's like, okay, if I do build out this, you know, we've probably all done this where we built out an entire program and then nobody buys it. like, wait, what? But then I go, oh, cool. Like, I got to create this thing. And I love creation just for the sake of creation. I mean, of course, as creators, we all deserve to be paid and, you know, well taken care of and abundant in that flow with our creations. And though, like, even if you think about like some of the greatest artists in history, you know, it's like, the greatest songwriters. They might have like a couple of hits, but they wrote hundreds of other songs, you know? It's like, it's just part of the nature of creation. And it's like, yeah, you just got to keep creating. Yeah, yeah, had so many times of, or just not release something, because it, you know, something else has come up that makes me feel like, you know what, this isn't the right direction or the right thing to release or the right time to release it either. I've been working on my book for probably the past 12 years, and I don't recommend that, don't do that, but take action quicker than that. But I also realized that because all this time has passed, it has turned into something so much better than I had originally thought it was going to be. So there's like that universal timing too, that it's kind of a pain to wait for, but also, know, trusting when you feel like, this has to marinate, there's something here that's not quite ready yet. And, you know, I'm trying to listen to that voice too. Cause you know, I love that saying, redirection is protection. So, you know, I've quite a few times been redirected in my life and always, every single time when I look back, it was to lead me to something even better. Hmm, yes, absolutely. And I really feel like it all has, it really does all have its purpose, you know? right. You learn something or you pick up another person that helps you on your journey. There's always something that it was purposeful for. Yeah, I want can't always see, you know, I've been like really in this inquiry lately around just the notion of timelessness. And I've been like so aware of my own timelessness because I did after my daughter was born, I sort of tried to keep dancing, choreographing, doing all the same stuff and very quickly learn like this really isn't working. And I just took like a big step back. I never stopped dancing for my own benefit, but I wasn't immersed in the industry. And now I'm sort of in this era of like reintegrating, not in the ways I was before, but you know, I'm just more in the dance communities and in the industry spaces. And it's like, literally everywhere I go, somebody at least one person comes up to me to tell me what an impact I or my work had on them. And oftentimes it's like that was 15 years ago when I was 12 years old, you know, that was it's like way back. And it's like, so beautiful. to think about how much like not just our creations but like who we are at any given moment has the potential to continue to like ripple out if we can be so fully expressed in who we are in our gifts and in our medicine and in our aliveness and in our divine alignment right it's like you're not limited then to I created this one show or I had this one program and the people that were in that that moment, that blip in time, they all got the gift of that. But it's like, no, it's the gift that keeps on giving and it will keep carrying itself on and on and on. And this concept has really helped me anchor into deeper trust also, because it's like when you can just see kind of the full spectrum spiral of how all the things that you are doing, all of the pieces of your journey can be a gift to the collective. Why would I be anything but trusting? Yeah, where do you feel like your responsibility lies in being a part of this earth, this time period and sharing your knowledge and your gifts? Because you do work with people one-on-one to help them rediscover themselves. Why is that important to you? how did you get to that? Wow, that's a really deep question. I feel like it has been an impulse that I have carried with me through my entire life. Like there has always been this sort of like fire underneath me through every season. I mean, even when I've been like deep down in the dumps, it's like maybe we might call it God or, you know, we might call it my own soul or a combination of both. But it's like, there's just this knowing like that I am here to move forward, everyone, including myself. And there used to be sort of a sense of pressure on me around that. And I do have it come up once in a while, like this kind of feeling like, my God, there's so much to do. And I only have this one life to do it because I also feel this is like a sidebar, I believe that we have many, many, lifetimes and I Yes, I have always felt though that this lifetime is probably my last one here on earth. And I've even had like even when I was in my like, late teens, early 20s, I had like psychics and mentors and people say this to me like they were affirming like, yeah, this is your last time on earth. Like this is a completion cycle. And I really do still feel that but anyway, this is a very long winded response to I love that topic. Yeah, I think, you know, I do feel a sense of responsibility. And so I want to always like, honor the fact that as a soul, I did sign up for this. At the same time, I just really at this point in my life, I'm doing my very best to just delight in it, you know, like what I get that I get the opportunity. to share this wisdom, to share this embodiment, to share these things that I love so much anyway, you know, with other humans. I like, and don't know how you would, I would guess that you're probably going to feel the same thing, but for me, I feel like this timeline or this time period, there's so many people that are here and their mission is to kind of wake everybody up, spark this fire, because there needs to be a major shift. And I feel like, a lot of souls have come back to this specific time to do just that. So I also believe I've lived many lives. I don't know if this is my last one or if I'm here and I've, timey wimey stuff kind of, I'm all over the place, but I feel like there's a major importance to my mission in this lifetime. And it doesn't like make me feel... pressure, it is exciting. And I feel like, you know, there are things that I think people like us don't like, and we don't like things that we see. And I think we're all kind of being activated to make this beautiful shift happen in like the most, not subtle, but you know, like you're the ripple that creates the ripple that creates the ripple. Like we're not like hammering in, like, this is how you should live. It's just a way of adding light. where it needs to be added right now. Do you kind of feel that too? Absolutely. Yes, 100%. This is such a pivotal time on the planet. One of my friends described it this way. She was talking about like something specific, but this is like stuck with me a lot because we were talking about like kind of how some people feel this impulse to like sort of fight the to fight the bad. We'll just say it that way, right? Like we can just chunk it all up to bad, the things that we don't like. And she was saying, like, she really feels that it's more effective, like if there is something really terrible sort of living in this paradigm, just build something that is light, that is in like, you know, the same arena, but is a completely different like resonance. and just build that pillar alongside this other pillar and just naturally things are gonna be sort of more compelled and drawn toward the lightness. I just, that really stuck with me. I've never really been one to, like you said, like, I think some people are meant to really fight, like fight, fight the things that are, yeah. Yes, I think I have a lot of fight in me. ah And, you know, I just my attention, I am much more effective in my soul mission if I can just sort of, you know, attune myself to. to anchoring into more pleasure, more joy, more beauty, more love, more connection, and just trust that like everything's always seeking balance, right? This is what one of my mentors says, like everything in nature seeks balance if something's way out of harmony, you know, toward the negative, just bring in, like calibrate it the opposite direction and things will start to balance out. And that doesn't mean that I'm gonna like, you know, bypass what's actually happening or, you know, I'm not like living up in the clouds. I'm very grounded and present in the reality. But it's just, there's just different approaches. And I really do feel like if we can, if we can all sort of live into. these sort of lighter, brighter ways, things will change. I mean, it's not just woo, it's science. Like there are studies, like monks who've gone into cities with high crime rates and they just meditate for a day and then the crime rates go down. Like this stuff actually does work, you know? yeah. mean, and happier people make happier people, like, you know, at the basis of it. How do you balance like real life, right? We're grounded, we're having a human experience with the magic that you can feel when you're connected and experiencing, you know, Egyptian meditation in front of a pyramid. How do you do both? That's a good question. think I don't think it's balanced like I think I think to try To balance is like I don't know I I feel like really just leaning into the experience as it is For me is the most beneficial thing to do. So if I'm all the way in a you know multi-dimensional 8d activation I can just live all the way into that and if I'm stepping in, catch it, and having to clean it off my foot, I can just live into that. And just like, you know, for me at this point, I feel like it's just all like it's just all part of the ebb and flow and like the holiness of life. And, you know, just trying to see. as much of it as I can as ceremony has been helpful to me. Like I know people do talk about like life is a ceremony and sometimes you're like, you know, when you're in the like harder pieces of just human being, you're like, please shut up. I don't want to hear that. and I do I really do my best to kind of live into that truth because I genuinely do believe like it all. it's all perfect, you know, and I actually feel like there's this sort of humbling happening within the spiritual communities right now that is so necessary. We're like so many people were feeling for a while like this, this sort of glorified flight response, right? Like, I don't want to live in the 3D matrix anymore. I'm going to just go away and I'm going to build a commune and I'm going to like just unplug from the system, you know, and I completely understand the impulse I've had that in. and it's like no actually I have work to do so we're gonna need to take all this all this big beautiful light and these like higher dimensional experiences and put them all the way into the 3d matrix Yeah. I love a good juicy meditation. I love connecting with guides and my loved ones who've passed on and all that stuff. But you're right. Like at the same time, like, you know, I've got my teenagers outside the door and, you know, life is happening and I can't just live there all the time. But it certainly is quite incredibly not only fun, but I learn so much every time I go to those places. And I think it's one of the main reasons to do it, learn more about yourself, learn more about people and what you can do and why you're here. I love Akashic Records and I know you teach Akashic, I don't know how to put what you do with Akashic Records. Thank I have a lineage, a healing lineage that has, you know, been gifted to me from source called the embodied Akashic healing. It's a combination of like many modalities that I have studied and practiced and been initiated in along the way, but the Akashic records are sort of like the main entry point to the modality, but it's very unique in that. One of the teachings that I have been so blessed to learn by one of my incredible teachers and mentors and soul sisters, Amasophia Rose, is called the Dove Codex. And within the Dove Codex, it's all about singing the songs of creation. So using your voice to access the wisdom of your ancestors, the wisdom of creator. the Divine Feminine Codex, and within that teaching, she taught us how to sing into the Akashic records. And this is something that as I was learning, you know, like her teaching, I was like, I've already been doing this. I just wasn't calling it that, you know, like so much of my work is through the voice, through sound, through sound, bringing through what a lot of people call light language. And it was really happening to me and through me before I had like a mental cognitive understanding of what was going on. And I sort of always knew because I've been a Reiki master for 12, 13 years, but I started practicing Reiki as a six year old little girl because I grew up next door to someone who was a Reiki practitioner. So Reiki's always been a huge part of my work. And for a while I was teaching and attuning people in Reiki, which was beautiful, but I always knew like when I facilitate, It's never just Reiki. It's never just an Akashic Records healing. It's such a, it's like a visceral combination of everything. And so the Embodied Akashic Healing is really helping people to learn how to facilitate this sort of multi-layered visceral healing experience. But it also makes space for the unique gifts of the facilitator. You know, we're like, If we're just looking at Reiki, like, you know, very traditional foundational Reiki, it's a very specific blueprint. This is how you facilitate. And, you know, there is some space for practitioners to move energy in their own unique ways. But this to me just feels more open, you know? And so I'm teaching people how to read the Akashic records, how to work with the Akashic records, but most importantly, how to embody. the Akasha. So you like, kind of learn where the Akashic field lives within you and how you can sort of access through your body, your voice, you know, the record and move things around is very visceral and tricky to explain. But that's the best I got for you today. I've never, I've never, like in my head Akashic Records are like, you know, this interdimensional space that looks like a library and you have a librarian. I've only like journeyed to them once with a teacher of mine, but I guess what Akasha in you, I don't know what that really means. Yeah, so, you know, the Akasha as it's known is is like what you said, it's this sort of interdimensional interdimensional library where, know, it's like a record. It's the records, the Akasha records are sort of all of the information, you know, across all timelines is sort of stored and kept. But with that, right, they are ever shifting because choice point to choice point, right, things kind of move and shift and within that space you can go in and ask the guardians and the gatekeepers for permission to look at things and sort of recode and rewrite things. And my experience going into the Akasha is that yes, I can connect with them as this like interdimensional space, this library, but if I am as a soul in a body connected to all there is, My body has infinite access to all dimensions, all realities, all timelines, all information, right? And so it's just a different way of going in. It's like an internal access point as opposed to like reaching out and bringing the information down. You're actually going in to bring the information out. Yeah, it's really powerful stuff. It's like for me, of all the things I have done and studied, like when I really started to, I don't even want to say understand, because that's not it. Like it's not a mental thing for me, but when I started to embody this way, it just really, really changed things for me. And I remember very distinctly when I was having my training with AlmaSophia for the DevCodex. You know, we did so much singing and the assignments were like, you know, very specific, but I have worked with psychedelics and plant medicines and I was like going into these like 10, 15 minute Akashic sound journeys to go into my own records through my own body and through my voice. And I was having these, like, I was coming out and taking like 10 pages of notes as if I just sat a whole night of ayahuasca. Like it was... so wild and I was just like, how do we not, how is everyone not doing this stuff? But the answer is, I believe that everyone can meet this energy powerfully and you know, it's similar to like a plant medicine. You do need to be ready to some degree. It's not quite as, from my experience of many psychedelics, it's not destabilizing in that same way because you're not having like the physical having to process. the medicine, but it can be quite confronting and like, you know, timelines altering and very, very, very big shifts can occur. And so, you know, you've got to be ready and or have a very trusted guide and facilitator to help you to sort of integrate and process everything that comes through. What has been like the biggest or most shocking revelation you've had from your experience with all of that? I'm just laughing. one like holy crap I cannot believe I mean, I don't know if it was a revelation, but... or experience, like just something cool. The one that's coming to me is just that I feel like when I drank ayahuasca for the first time, I had this experience of I essentially became my grandmother's mother and I like relived her death. like and in the journey I was like I was literally saying out loud. I'm dying, I'm dying. And I knew I wasn't, I had like enough awareness and I was being held so powerfully that like, I knew that wasn't actually what was happening. But it was wild because for about like a year or two after that, I was being sort of Shown outside of the medicine ceremonies like I didn't have to drink anymore medicine I was just in my own meditations and my own practices and my own space. I was sort of I was being initiated into being a death doula, but I was having to relive death traumas. So after that, I went into my dad's death and I actually viscerally felt the moment of his. It was very, I don't need to get into the graphic of it, but it was that. And then I was shown this time where, basically like a witch hunt, and I was reliving that trauma, not just of my own. but like many, many, many women from this witch hunt. And it was just like thing after thing after thing with death. And it was like this. wild, I don't even want to call it a fascination because there was a part of me was like, I don't want to do this. Like, I don't want to be seeing all of this. But it was like, I had to touch all of these moments to have like a deeper understanding of like the transition. And I was being invited to recode those things and make those things more pure and like healthy and like just kind of get those like traumatic stamps off my lineage. But interesting. Yeah, but then shortly after that, my partner's mom... ended up passing and transitioning and I sort of was, I wasn't the only one, but I was a part of her transition and I was like actually in the physical then being invited to help to facilitate this transition and to help it to not be so traumatic for her. And I was singing the the Dove Codex to her and the songs of creation and like kind of walking her through speaking of timelessness, right? It's like sometimes when we're in the medicine ceremony two years prior, reliving these deaths and then touching them we don't really know oh because I'm gonna have to know like really know how to support this transition for this human that I love like here in the flesh so I don't know yeah that was a pretty intense it's process I don't know that I would call it like a revelation but it was a big process yeah. What do you think people, or what do you wish people knew about energy and healing that maybe is a misconception or that you hear a lot? There's so many things. I feel like I want to speak to the fact that like, if we really zoom out and or go all the way in, either way, we end up at the same place. But it's like, you know, I genuinely hold the belief that everyone actually already is healed and well and holy. We're just remembering that. And I do want people to know. that it doesn't have to be so painful. Like, I think right now in the world, there are a lot of people waking up to their empathic nature, waking up to their metaphysical gifts. And with that, there's, I often see like this glorification of the pain of that. And I'm not saying it's not painful because it can be, but it really just depends on how you approach it and like what kind of intentions you have and what kind of boundaries you have with the process and who's supporting you, like who's helping to hold the space, like are you alone in this? Are you getting off on the pain of it? And that's okay, you know, like sometimes people just go in, you know, they get out of this other dark toxic habit and then they become addicted to healing. And then what are you even doing when you're addicted to just hunting after ways to make yourself better all the time? And so I think right now that's just kind of like... where I'm at and I also feel like we've got to not forget our humanity in it. Because a lot of times people have their quote unquote awakening, right? And I put it in quotes because it's like, what are we even talking about? And then they sort of, they reject their humanity. They reject the parts of them that are less desirable or... or could be considered less evolved or whatever. And to me, that's actually not healing them, you know? And I don't, yeah, and I think everyone's journey is unique and I have certainly exiled pieces of myself for years, months, days, whatever. And now that I am in a position where I so often teach people, I'm sort of always... doing my best to remind people like, you can bring your whole self on this journey. You do not have to reject any part of you in order to achieve this or that thing that you're seeking. think it's a question of perception. How do you see the things that you don't like? And maybe if you kind of try and shift the way you're seeing them and love them in a way that, how did this help me? There are definitely versions of myself in the past that I was like, well, that was not my best. But I also realize now I needed that. I needed her at that time so that I could be who I am now. So thank you for that. But I mean, is it always fun? No. ah But I think that allows us to release any guilt or shame or anything we had about maybe a past who we were. I'm a recovering alcoholic and that was not my best time. And I definitely was holding a lot of guilt and shame around my actions during then. And I don't love I say healing all the time, but I think it's really more just growing, like growing up, growing into your next level. I think everything is there is like a building block and a layer and like, you're this like sedimentary soul that all of these things, never go away, but they are there and you are who you are because of them. So, I think. And like one of the things that I think is really important that you mentioned is support. Because when I first started hearing spirit, whatever, I was so freaking confused. I had no idea what it was, why this was happening, who's, I didn't even recognize them as voices. They just were like these scrambled thoughts that I didn't get what was happening. And I remember telling somebody about it. And I said, just feel like my head is spaghetti. And she guided me to who's my teacher now. And it just changed everything. And then through her, I was able to meet this community of people that are all very real about all of this. kind of, I think if I had met people that were, we need to do this in like a certain outfit on a Himalayan mountain, and while super fun. I think the realness of it is what I was craving and found and that was so exciting. And I love that you're kind of doing that too. You're building this community with your retreats and bringing people together. It's just such beautiful work. Is that sort of the genesis of your retreats and why you started that? I have always had just a deep love for people. Like, I just like love people like I legitimately adore humans and human connection. And it just like lights me up so much and You know, I don't know that when I started doing the retreats, it was like specifically me seeing like a need for community or supportive spaces. It was more just like, actually my first retreat happened. uh, six years ago now in Bali and I co-facilitated with my now former business partner, Elise. And at that point, know, Elise and I were both doing energy work and coaching and things. And I know she had led a couple of retreats and I just was like in a yoga class one day and during the Shavasana, I just got this download. I was like, you're going to do a retreat in Bali with Elise. And I called her and she was like, I'm down, let's go. And we just like threw it together and was so magical and so powerful. And I think in that space, feeling the community, feeling the sisterhood, feeling like just the real power of what it means to be in a safe space and container and explore these things together. was like, yeah, this is really beautiful. But I had always some semblance of that in dance and in teaching dance. I mean, I was like traveling all over the world, most of the time teaching classes of like literally hundreds of students. and watching them not just learn from me, but learn from each other. And so I think that's kind of always been there. But I think you touched on this thing that can happen for people in the beginning when your gifts are first activating and feeling that scramble and... what is is happening and you know I'm so glad you found your teacher in your community because it's so so so important and I do see people I've seen actually quite a few people lately because I think there's something happening right now where like people are are waking up faster and faster to their gifts and that's on purpose but it's like sometimes people are so scrambled about it that they're going into this weird like cave you know where it's like, let me just go into my own world and figure it out and nobody else can have access to this, you know, this space. And then they're just like spiraling. Not that you can't, right? Like people can go into their own world and sort it out. But I have been doing this work for a long time now. And I think more often than not having at least one person who has walked the path, maybe a little ahead of you, not that there's any hierarchy, but someone who can just like mirror to you like, You know, this is what's happening. You're not going crazy. Here's what worked for me. Or if they're, you know, an intuitive, here's what I'm feeling can work for you, can be so beneficial. And I feel. if we want to touch on responsibility again, I feel it is the more responsible thing to do to have support because also I know for me early on when my like witchy magic gifts were really, really, activating in that cycle of like my late twenties, I was just so excited. And I was so aware of how quickly and easily I could like move energy around that, you know, I didn't do well, it's all relative. I was going to say I didn't do anything too terrible, but it's all relative, but I think I was just a little bit too sort of like loose and not really contained with my gifts and how I was showing up and wanting to share with people. it's like, it actually can be a little bit dangerous when you're like not properly trained and you're opening up someone's energy field and you're moving shit around. Even if your intentions are really pure, it still can be dangerous. And so I'm always like, get a mentor. You know, I think asking permission and like not just throw, cause I've had that where people just throw stuff at me and they've done it spiritually. They've done it in like more practical ways too. I had met a designer one time. I'm a trained, my history, my real life, you know, training is graphic design. And I remember I met this young designer once and I had been in the business maybe 10 years and she goes, I'm going to redo your logo for you. And I was like, Wait, what? Are you kidding me? And I've had the same thing with like readings. Like somebody will just come up to me like your grandmother said blah, blah, blah. And I'm like, yeah, I'm good. Thanks. Me and my gram have a thing. it's so out of integrity. Like it doesn't matter where people have, yeah, yeah. I feel like we've all done it. Yeah, but I'm even speaking to like when people give you consent, you know, if people do give you consent to lay hands on them or do energy work, but you're not properly trained, like it can, it can stir up a lot of stuff. And I think that that's happening. more than we even know in the like spiritual communities these days. People who are well intentioned, who actually do have a lot of gifts, but just aren't properly trained, who are, you know, moving a lot of things around that maybe they are not ready to be move moving around. yeah, don't know. don't, know, energy healing is sort of outside of my wheelhouse. But when it comes to like, misreading, you know, I see that a lot where you get something and then you're like, it's blah, blah, blah. And meanwhile, like actually, totally misinterpreted the message. So yeah, I mean, there's there's a lot to learn, you know, before you can start really standing up and telling people like this is this is what I'm seeing, hearing, Because it's just, there's so much. Yeah, definitely. Well, and this is why it's also important, I feel like as a facilitator to know that that like you are not the ultimate authority on anyone's truth or reality, no matter how clear the download feels. And I share this with everybody I ever work with that like You know, you are the ultimate authority on your life, your belief system. I am doing my best to interpret, to channel, like I'm pretty good at it. And like if something doesn't land, it doesn't resonate for you, then great. Like you can. yeah. Exactly, yeah. are like such important pieces to touch on. And I think for people who are receiving too, and I have to do this myself sometimes, you know, like even just recently I had someone kind of new to my world that I went to for support that, you know, obviously I trusted, otherwise I wouldn't have went to them for support, but they said something to me, like sort of in the... in the vein of like, if you do not do this, this will never change. And I'm just like, wait, hold on. Like, I work in these realms. And I know that there is no like, absolute I feel like if anyone's ever telling you like, you cannot have this without this or this is the only way to this, then I would like very I would really assess that because there's just so many timelines that are available to all of us. so many options. Choose your own adventure. Yeah, exactly. So can we talk about Egypt really quick? I know we're running long, I'm so incredibly fascinated. Tell me about the trip, because you've done it before, right? you've never done it before. It'll be my first time actually putting my feet in the earth in Egypt. Though, these feet. I feel like I've lived through it. Yeah, I've lived many lifetimes in ancient Egypt. I know this. I've always known this. I've had memories since forever about, you know, being a priestess, being there, being in the temples. Well, I guess I'm gonna touch on like the why now for me because it is a place that's been calling me for a very long time, you know, and I still have so many sites to go to. Like part of my sole mission here is grid work on these portal sites, helping to activate the land to, you know, receive the codes and carry them forth. And, you know, you don't have to physically go to these sites to do this. And, you know, there's just something unique in doing the actual physical. Yeah, doing it is super fun. Exactly. But you know, when I got the download to go this year specifically and to bring a group. you know, this year specifically around this time. I actually didn't even know that it was going to be happening, which just a few days ago, I think it was the first of November that the Grand Egyptian Museum opened and they had, yes, they had this massive ceremony and all these powerful, powerful influential people from all over the world were there. And you know, they were celebrating, they were activating. There's all these ancient artifacts that kind of gotten, that had gotten taken out of Egypt that are now like, like by law having to get brought back. And so it's just like, it just really felt for me, it's like, it's a coming home. It's like souls from all over, all dimensions, all places, all walks, just like coming to these ancient lands and to connect back into what I've been feeling is like the original blueprint that exists there kind of, you know, without any distortion. Because just like with anything that's super powerful. Hopefully this won't be the case forever more. My intention is to shift it, but historically, you know, a lot of power has been misused. And it feels to me like somewhere along the lines, there were some distortions that kind of came in, especially in those ancient times. um And I won't get into that too deeply, but it's like there's something about for many of us going back, showing up, being willing to say like, I want to be a part of the reset. But it's like, it's not just a reset. It's like, it's like you hit the reset button, but the whole system got an upgrade, you know? It's like, yeah, the ancient is me, some new, yes, the glow up. So that's kind of it. I mean, it feels to me like a service-based journey, but also in that, right? Anytime you show up in service to the whole, you are receiving your individual gifts in that. And yeah, I mean, there's just so, so much. It's so multi-layered. mean, I think anyone who's ever seen an image of Egypt, of any of the temples, not just the great pyramids, can see the bigness of it and the magnitude of... these places. And so for me, I also feel like I'm kind of here, not just to help people, like really reconnect with themselves and their authenticity, but then to be very out with it to be seen to be visible to have impact to leave a legacy. And I'm just like, what better place to go than Egypt where these sites are just beyond life, this just the size and the magnitude of these is like enough to shift your DNA when you meet them. about ancient energy and feeling all of that too. can't even imagine. I cannot wait to hear how it went. It sounds so cool. We actually just had a call earlier today. I met with the group on Zoom and I brought through some transmissions and we all connected. And it just feels also really sweet, like a homecoming, like a holding, like a mama being like, come, come, get nourished, receive. I mean, obviously there's more layers to it, but yeah. you're sold out by now, right? Or actually... Oh! I am not and the doors are not closed and hopefully this episode will release soon and more. push this out a little sooner. Yeah, it's, we still have a little bit more space and I'm like, you know, as a business owner, I think anyone who was here who has ever led retreats, like, you know, for your nervous system, it's helpful to the doors like a couple weeks before and. You know, this journey for me has already been an initiation and one of the parts is like, no, you're gonna keep the doors open and you're going to get all the pieces clicked and loaded. I mean, I have a whole team there that's helping to create it. So it's not like it's all on me to get everything finalized in the snap of the moment. Yeah, and I'm sure everyone that's supposed to be there will be there and it'll be amazing. We're doing our, it's funny the way your first retreat came together because my first retreat came together the same way. My girlfriend and I had both been planning to do an Italian, a Tuscany retreat. And I just love the Northern parts of Italy. That's where my family's from. And we were talking and we were sharing resources and I was like. Why don't we just do this together? And she was like, oh, yes. So yeah, we're doing our first retreat in May, 2027. I think it was the, So, petrified, but super excited. That's so exciting. Italy is just so magical. Me too. was, there was, it just, there was just nothing. I've never experienced anything like that where I just, I don't know. It just opened up something inside of me that made me almost like uncomfortably excited about seeing more and more and more and more. Like I want to go everywhere and there's just not enough time. I so get that. Yeah, yeah. But then I also, you know, love being a mom. I have teenagers and I, so it's like this duality of like having, you know, spending some of my time here and knowing that like there are seasons for things and just trusting that when these things are supposed to, because we were actually supposed to go to Italy the first time in 2020. It was February 19th and everything, my husband is like a tech nerd and he was following the numbers and he's like, We're not going. And I'm like, what are you talking about? It's nothing. It's not a big deal. And cause it hadn't hit the U S yet. And he's like, I'm telling you, I'm looking at these numbers and then sure enough. I was like, but then when we did go, it was so perfect. And then we were able to bring our kids a couple of years later. So it's a, yeah, I just, I'm obsessed with traveling now. Good! Well, hopefully we'll meet on one of these journeys. Absolutely. I mean, honestly, if like I had a little more time before Egypt, I told my husband, I was like, dude. I'm juggling because I, the one meme I like always send to people, I don't know if you've seen it, but it's something like the line something like, me, just be normal this time. And then it's like an alien with its arms out. Time is an illusion. Yeah, yeah. When my sister sent me a meme the other day and it was like, me never wants to leave the house. Also me, international travel is the only way I'll leave. One last question. we have this thing called a lift kit. a lift kit is something that, you you're just having a tough day and you need something that's just gonna pick you up. For me, that's oftentimes like dancing to Harry Styles in my kitchen. But, you know, something that doesn't take a whole lot of effort, but that will kind of, bring you out of your little funk. Is there something in your practice that you can add to our universe, our collective lift kit? Well, I mean, dancing in the kitchen to Harry Styles would be one of my first go-tos. So I think we're named to that one. I think just dancing in general, you know, like any kind of nonlinear dancing to a joyful song is so beautiful. I like to, if you can, get outside, put your feet in the earth and, you know, get some sunshine if it's available to you. If not, you can do this from anywhere. But I like to just like ground myself into the earth and then make sound. Like for how long you just take a breath in and you make sound or you can like if say your heart's feeling a little tired or achy you can breathe into the heart and you like let the sound out of the heart so it's kind of a little bit more of a of a release process in that but I just like to do that for however long I can or want to and then I just like shake it out and then that's that's one of my favorite ways to upshift. oh add that to the digital lift kit and we'll attribute it to you for sure. beautiful So everyone can find you. Where do you hang out online? We're also going to have all your links in the show notes, but tell us all the things. And you also have something coming up too. Tell us about that as well. Okay, well, I do have the Embodied Akashi Keeling Certification cohort, so I will be teaching the lineage that we discussed on this podcast. to a small group, I like to limit it to six people. There's currently four more spots available. We're looking at starting sometime in December, though it may get pushed to January. Yeah, and I'm still, you know, onboarding people for that journey. I'm also right now offering that if anyone wants to come and experience the lineage, like one-on-one with me, you can book your one-on-one session. And then if you decide to do the certification, I will credit the session investment toward the certification. And you on Instagram. And I do have a freebie as well for everybody who's catching this show. It's a 25 minute session where we do a bit of like movement medicine into like a deep soul connection meditation. And then I bring through some of the DevCodex sound healing. So it's like a nice little sample platter of some of the things that you might experience with me in other containers. And we'll make sure that link gets dropped here too. can yeah, and you can find me at Gina Starbuck coaching.com or I'm it's actually probably easier to reach me or follow me on Instagram at Gina Starbuck. I am very very active on IT and Sharing about all the beautiful things that I'm up to pretty much all the time And thank you so much for being here. It was just such a pleasure to meet you. Thank you. It's been so beautiful to meet you and share this space with you. thank you so much for sharing your time and all of your beautiful wisdom.