Today, I turn fifty.
There’s something sacred about naming that out loud. Not just as a marker of time, but as an embodied declaration: I have arrived. And not in the performative sense, not in the social-media-perfect-milestone way—but in the deeply cellular, soul-level knowing that this age, this threshold, this season… is a return home.
Fifty, for me, is not a crisis. It’s a coronation.
It’s not a hill I’m climbing toward decline. It’s the horizon I’ve been walking toward my whole life—sometimes with clarity, sometimes lost in the fog, and often learning to trust the rhythm of my own breath when the map disappeared.
This is a love letter to the power of presence, the beauty of aging, and the sacred unfolding of becoming our most authentic selves.
The Culture Doesn't Prepare Us for This
We live in a culture that clings to youth and fears aging. We’re taught to count wrinkles, dye the grays, Botox the stories from our faces, and perform vitality at all costs.
But what if aging isn’t a problem to solve?
What if it’s the invitation we’ve been waiting for?
As I sit in the quiet of this morning, just before the sun rose, I realized something I’ve been coming home to all year: Presence is the true beauty secret. Not serums, not surgery, not sacrifice.
Presence is what softens the edges of time. It’s what makes a woman magnetic—not her age, but her awareness.
The Power of Presence While Aging
There’s a radical kind of magic that happens when you stop rushing through your life.
When you stop trying to “get back” to who you were at 30 or 40.
When you stop measuring your worth by what your body looks like or how productive you’ve been in a given week.
When you pause long enough to feel your own pulse. To listen to what your skin, your heart, your cells are whispering.
That is where true power begins: in the now. Not in the next goal. Not in the former version of yourself you’ve outgrown. Not in proving, performing, or pleasing.
But right here, in the raw intimacy of your lived experience.
What Presence Has Taught Me About Becoming
Presence teaches you that grief and joy can co-exist.
That holding space for who you once were doesn’t mean abandoning her—but rather honoring her for bringing you here.
Presence helps you see your own evolution with tenderness—not judgment. You begin to recognize that every version of yourself had wisdom, even the ones that made mistakes or didn’t yet know how to say “no.”
At 50, I’ve become less interested in perfection and more curious about congruence. Am I living in alignment with what I say I believe? Does my inner voice match my outer life? Do I rest as deeply as I give?
Becoming authentic isn’t a destination—it’s a daily devotion.
The Seasons Within
I’ve been thinking a lot about how we move through seasons—not just externally, but within ourselves.
In my 20s, I was planting seeds. In my 30s, I was growing fast and recklessly—learning through expansion and contraction. In my 40s, the pruning began. The sacred undoing. The quiet unraveling of everything I thought I needed to be.
And now, at 50, I feel like a woman who has learned how to tend her own garden.
I know which roots are strong. I know which flowers were never mine to grow.
I’ve become my own home.
The Liberation of Aging Authentically
There is something profoundly liberating about this age. I no longer need to hustle for my worth. I no longer perform strength—I embody it. I no longer seek approval as a lifeline. I am allowed to disappoint others in service of being true to myself.
This decade is not about external achievement for me—it’s about internal congruence. About resonance. About choosing environments, relationships, and ways of working that honor my nervous system, my intuition, my joy.
I no longer need to fight my body to feel powerful. I collaborate with her. I listen. I thank her. I soften.
The women I admire most at this stage of life are the ones who live unapologetically. They know their value. They don’t explain their boundaries. They wear their years like wildflowers in their hair—each line a poem, each scar a portal.
Sacred Aging is Not Passive- It's a Practice
Aging consciously requires courage. It means choosing presence when distraction feels easier. It means confronting the mirrors that culture hands us and deciding whether or not we still believe the reflection.
It means coming home to the body, even when she’s changed. Especially when she’s changed.
It means remembering that joy is still allowed. That beauty still belongs to us. That sensuality doesn’t expire. That play is not just for the young—it’s for the free.
We must unlearn the myth that aging equals invisibility. Because here’s the truth: when you are fully present, you become undeniable.
Letting Go to Let Myself In
At this threshold, I’ve been doing a lot of shedding.
Letting go of urgency. Letting go of resentment. Letting go of the version of me that once equated productivity with value.
Letting go of fear around being “too much” or “not enough.”
Letting go of who I thought I’d have to be in order to be loved, or respected, or safe.
And in doing so, I’ve made space to let myself in.
To let in the quiet wisdom that’s been with me all along.
To let in the softness I once thought I had to hide.
To let in the power that doesn’t scream but still moves mountains.
To let in the softness I once thought I had to hide.
To let in the power that doesn’t scream but still moves mountains.
What I Know Now
I don’t have all the answers—but here’s what I do know at 50:
- The more I trust myself, the less I need to control others.
- The more present I am, the more beauty I notice.
- The more I rest, the more I receive.
- The more I forgive, the more room I have to love.
- The more I release the pressure to “be good,” the more I become who I really am.
And who I really am?
She’s still unfolding. Still becoming. Still wild. Still wise. Still a work of sacred, sovereign art.
To the Women Walking Beside Me
If you’re approaching this age—or any age—and feeling resistance, I invite you to pause.
Not to fix. Not to “level up.” Just to breathe and bear witness to the woman you are today.
What if aging isn’t a loss but a deepening?
What if becoming your most authentic self requires less effort and more allowing?
What if presence—not performance—is your most powerful gift?
There is no milestone more important than your own embodiment.
Let this year be the one where you come back to yourself with reverence.
An Invitation
Today I don’t need a big party or a spotlight. I just need my bare feet on the earth, my hand over my heart, and a few breaths to remember:
I am here.
I am enough.
I am enough.
I am becoming.
And from this place, I extend an invitation:
To all women aging alongside me—whether you’re thirty, fifty, or seventy—may you rise into your next season not with fear, but with fierce presence.
May you remember that the real glow-up isn’t aesthetic—it’s energetic.
May you soften your armor, return to your rhythm, and live your next decade like the sacred woman you are.
Because the journey of becoming never ends—but it does get more beautiful when we stop trying to be someone we’re not.
So here’s to fifty. Here’s to presence. Here’s to the radical, rebellious act of aging authentically.
I’ll meet you here—rooted, radiant, and real.
Nervous System Habits that Lower Cortisol
- Eat breakfast within 1 hour of waking
- Hydrate early in the day with mineral-rich water
- Practice deep breathing or vagus nerve activation daily
- Get natural sunlight in the morning
- Prioritize sleep—especially before 11 PM
- Cycle caffeine intake and cut it by 2 PM
With love,
Marcie
Welcome to The Wild Sage Society, where we believe in the power of embracing the natural cycles and rhythms of our planet. Discover why all our workshops, webinars, and signature events are carefully planned around these powerful moments, allowing you to harness the energies of our planet allies and the cardinal directions.
The Medicine Wheel Theory is deeply rooted in Native and Indigenous cultures and represents the circle of lessons that guide us through life's journey. It teaches us that everything in existence is alive and holds a sacred purpose. Each living thing, whether it be a stone, tree, creature, cloud, sun, moon, or human being, is seen as a relative and a teacher. By embracing this holistic worldview, we can deepen our connection to the Great Mystery and evolve spiritually.
At The Wild Sage Society, we recognize the profound influence of celestial events on our lives and the energies they bring forth. We plan our offerings around these events to maximize the transformative power available to us. Our signature events are thoughtfully scheduled during the Equinoxes and Solstices, as well as the changing of seasons or cardinal directions, according to the Medicine Wheel Theory.
The Equinoxes, which occur in spring and autumn, mark the moments when day and night are of equal length. These events symbolize balance and harmony, reminding us to seek equilibrium within ourselves and our relationship with the world. Our signature events during the Equinoxes focus on self-reflection, inner alignment, and embracing new beginnings.
The Solstices, celebrated in summer and winter, represent the extremes of light and darkness. They invite us to honor both the expansiveness of life and the introspective nature of the shadows. Our signature events during the Solstices emphasize personal growth, soulful introspection, and embracing the cycles of life.
In addition to the Equinoxes and Solstices, we also plan our offerings around the changing seasons and cardinal directions. Each season carries its unique energies and lessons, and by aligning with these natural transitions, we can deepen our understanding of ourselves and our place in the world.
For example, during the South direction of the Medicine Wheel, which represents birth and new beginnings, we focus on workshops and webinars that nurture personal growth, self-discovery, and cultivating a solid foundation. We just celebrated the changing of direction and the start of the 3rd quarter of 2023, at our sold out Summer Solstice Workshop and Fire Ceremony.
As we move towards the West direction, associated with introspection and transformation, we delve into topics such as healing, shadow work, and embracing change. Join us for our signature Fall Equinox Self Transformation Summit - CLICK HERE to learn more!
The North direction, symbolizing wisdom and the elder stage of life, inspires us to explore workshops and events centered around ancestral wisdom, mentoring, and embracing the legacy we leave behind. We have several events planned, including our signature Vision Casting, Goal Setting and Manifesting Workshop, to support us in successfully transitioning both personallly and professionally, from 2023 to 2024; check out our events page.
Lastly, the East direction represents new horizons, expansion, and spiritual growth. Workshops and events during this phase focus on topics like personal empowerment, intuitive development, and aligning with our life purpose.
By aligning our offerings with celestial events and the wisdom of the Medicine Wheel Theory, The Wild Sage Society provides a nurturing and transformative space for all seekers. Whether you join us for workshops, webinars, or our signature events, you can trust that each experience is thoughtfully planned to help you harmonize with the natural cycles and rhythms of our planet. Embrace the transformative power of celestial events and the cardinal directions, and embark on a journey of self-discovery, growth, and connection with nature's wisdom.
Surrounding the physical body is a luminous energy field or LEF, that informs our cells, genes, and microbiome how to live and act in harmony. This field is invisible to most of us, but some can see this as an “Aura'' or halo of color around a person's body. This field of light and vibration determines what you manifest in your body and the outside world. If you have a wound or pattern created in self-defense or an unresolved story, it can contribute to an illness or undesirable outcome.
Alberto Villoldo often says that we can think of the "LEF" as a type of software that instructs our DNA, the hardware, to grow and repair the body. Until you have experienced this form of energy work, the LEF informs the body according to genetic instructions inherited from your parents. It replicates the physical conditions and the psychological stories and dramas that carry through generations. When this LEF is degraded, it creates disharmony in the body.
In shamanism, there are four layers to the LEF. According to Ayurveda (the world’s oldest health system and sister science of yoga based on the mind-body connection), we actually have five bodies that exist far outside our physical bodies. These are called “Koshas”.
Koshas are the different energetic layers or bodies we have that are connected to our soul. Our physical reality manifests as our energetic, mental, intuitive, and spiritual realities, and vice versa. Only when we understand the connection between these layers do we become empowered. Each layer has its own radio station or frequency.
We as humans are not one-layered. You are not just your body, nor your mind, nor any one layer of your body. You are a combination of them, and each layer is in communication with the other.
For true transformation, we need a reformation of the body (physical body), breath (energetic body), mind (mental body), intuitive (intuitive body), and bliss level (bliss body).
There are two binding forces that keep the Luminous Energy Field connected to the physical body; The Electromagnetic field and the Chakra system.
The Electromagnetic field is the primary “glue” that holds the LEF to the physical body. It surrounds the body and is generated by the electrical activity of the nervous system.
This Chakra system secures the LEF to the spinal column. The Chakras are like energy funnels rooted to the spine, a direct pipeline to the human neural network. These spinning vortexes of light are where energy is received and released and exchanged with nature. Every negative imprint in the LEF is linked to Chakras through which it releases its toxic data into the central nervous system.
Think of the 7 primary Chakras as extending one or two inches above the skin, and connecting down to your spinal cord. They each have their unique frequency that we perceive as one of the seven colors of the rainbow. As we grow older the colors become duller. The trauma and loss in our lives leave toxic residues behind like a sludge adhering to the chakras. Fear and limiting beliefs can create blockages and impede energy flowing through each of the chakras and the healthy flow of energy moving through our physical bodies. When Chakras lose their ability to vibrate at their optimum frequency it affects our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being. By clearing and resetting the Chakras, we can experience new potential as energy flows freely and positively.
We offer Chakra Clearing sessions that combine Hypnotherapy, Shamanic Energy Work, Crystal Therapy, and Sound Therapy using crystal bowls and tuning forks (specifically tuned for each Chakra). Not all of the modalities mentioned are used in one session. These sessions can be booked in 60 or 90-minute increments. We recommend clearing your Chakras at least once a month depending on the amount of stress, overwhelm, and burnout in your life and the quality of your thoughts, sleep, and energy. For best results integrating Chakra Clearings into Coaching Sessions with Marcie can be a super powerful way to stay aligned with your goals, dreams, and ambitions.
If you're curious if a Chackra Balancing could help you?
A mindset is a set of attitudes we hold; beliefs that determine how we handle situations.
In most cases, our beliefs are not our own. We’ve been brainwashed. Unconscious beliefs are embedded at a cellular level from birth. Our mindsets help us spot opportunities & trap us in self-defeating cycles. Hello, self-sabotage!
The adults during our upbringing passed on to us their personal views of the world. They taught us opinions about everything & everyone, what we are, what we are not, what we can do, what we cannot do, they told us their opinions about everybody & what they thought of themselves. It is like downloading a program onto a computer.
Maybe the adults in your life even decided what you’re supposed to believe but in order for any of their opinions or points of view or beliefs to begin to take hold, you had to agree in order to be accepted which is built into our species as a requirement of survival.
Unfortunately, if our view of the world is infected with irrational fear, it acts like a virus in the program creating agreements & eventually beliefs anchored in the very same fear. A baby doesn’t have a religious belief, a political party affiliation, or a favorite sports team. They are not racists, homophobic, liberal, or conservative. It doesn’t judge the world as dangerous, scarce, unfair, biased, or discriminatory. It doesn’t have body image issues, fear of failure, or hang-ups about money. All those beliefs will be programmed into it, all those beliefs will be unconsciously adopted or unconsciously rebelled against.
Recorded in the brain cells of every person are these videotapes of every childhood experience & feeling you’ve ever had including fear, love, anger, joy, dependency, demandingness, insecurity, self-centeredness, and inadequacy, all these feelings are these little video tapes. These conditioned beliefs about ourselves and the world are continuing to author your story. These beliefs continue to shape your destiny but they don’t have to.
What I do as a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist, is to help clients become aware of any “automatic defensive coping mechanism (from infancy or childhood) that hardens into a fixed personality pattern”. Clients learn practical tools & processes to unwind any blocks, beliefs, & patterns that keep them feeling “stuck”, exhausted & overwhelmed.
As a Certified Dharma and Spiritual Life Coach, help clients answer the unanswered call in their life to be better or do more with their lives. Clients discover their innate superpowers and we co-create an action plan toward their goals.
If you or someone you know is feeling “stuck”, exhausted, overwhelmed, or like their life is missing purpose, please reach out. I’m here for you!
I remember it like it was yesterday, it was 2007, and I was at Wingfield Park in downtown Reno for Earth Day. In the distance, I saw this woman dancing freely in the park with a hula hoop as her prop. I approached her and promptly bought a custom-made hula hoop from her. I was hooked instantly. My hula hoop became my best friend and I took a deep dive into the “hooping” culture. Truthfully, I was obsessed with how I felt when I was learning all the tricks and moves I could from YouTube or at in-person workshops. I traveled to Oakland, Bend, and Hawaii then hosted workshops locally for the chance to learn from anyone and everyone I could.
In 2011, I founded Hoop-O-Lution and ran hoop classes out of various yoga and dance studios in Reno until 2014 when family priorities needed to shift.
What that spinning prop taught me ranged from centrifugal force to embodiment. I learned about healthy boundaries, how to find my flow state, and discovered grace for myself. I firmly believe that the hula hoop and hooping was a catalyst for my growth and are responsible for where I am now in my life.
During the pandemic, I saw an opportunity to start teaching beginner hoop dance classes again. I currently teach classes every Wednesday night as a way to help me and others shed their covid pounds and connect with others at a safe distance.
Reflecting on my personal journey with the hula hoop I am reminded of the testimonial I received from a local chiropractor about the health benefits of hula hooping.
“As a Chiropractor, I am constantly seeking new and better ways to treat and rehabilitate and empower my patients naturally. The Hula Hoop is a wonderful tool for accomplishing these goals and more for my patients.
It is tough finding pleasant and doable exercises for improving the health and strength and general functionality of the core of the musculoskeletal system. We hear about “strengthening the core” which is truly important, making it critical for spinal health and stability. Hula hooping is ideal for this function and is easily done by most patients.
What is less apparent is the role hooping has in keeping the nervous system happy and healthy. While those spinning hoops are exercising the core and other muscles their action is coordinating and organizing the nervous system at gross and fine levels. Also, the use of the Hula Hoop is supporting and improves the overall brain health and activity keeping it young and alive.
And finally, I have to share that I am a hoopster. I add the hula hoop to every morning exercise routine and find it has added much to my fitness as well as the fun of exercise. I have hoops at the office and home for invigoration breaks as well. Hooping is healthy and smart! ~ From: Dr. Clyde Porter
If you are local, I invite you to come give hula hooping a try and bring a friend!! To reserve a spot, click here!
