What do you do with Christmas when you’ve left church—but still love the season?

If you’ve ever wondered how to redeem Christmas without going back to religious performance, this conversation offers permission, language, and ideas for creating a conscious Christmas that actually feels like you.

In this episode of the Unchurching Podcast, Clint and Rachelle talk honestly about how confusing and guilt-laden Christmas can feel after deconstruction: Do you still “make it about Jesus”? What do you do with the nostalgia, the carols, the services, and the pressure to celebrate?

They explore the deeper history of Christmas—from pagan solstice festivals to the surprising lore behind Santa, stockings, and gifts under the tree—and how that history can actually free you from religious obligation. You may be surprised, we were!

They reframe Jesus through an awakened lens: Instead of centering a distant God or a baby “born to die,” they invite you to see Christmas as an inner event—honoring your own awakening, inner guidance, humility, and soul gifts.

They also introduce a playful new “bumper sticker” segment, where they take familiar Christian phrases and "gently" re-interpret them through a lens of consciousness, freedom, and light.

✨ Christmas can be about light within, not religious obligation.
✨ Jesus shows us our own divinity, not our depravity.
✨ You’re allowed to rewrite your traditions in a way that feels true.

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🌀 Unchurching is for the spiritually curious, the deconstructing, and the awakening.

📲 Follow us on Instagram: @unchurchingpodcast

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 – Welcome & the chaos of Clint’s Christmas décor
01:20 – When Christmas feels strange after leaving church
02:45 – Missing old traditions & asking: “What do we do with this now?”
04:30 – Was Christmas ever really about Jesus’ birthday?
06:20 – Solstice, Yule, and the return of the light
09:30 – How the church absorbed existing midwinter traditions
12:40 – A curious rabbit hole: Santa, symbolism, and old shamanic stories
18:30 – Why exploring origins helps release religious guilt
20:10 – The church’s version of Jesus: savior narrative & hierarchy
26:00 – The awakened view of Jesus: mystic, teacher, and breaker of religious rules
31:00 – Presence, compassion, and living what Jesus embodied
38:00 – New segment: Bumper Sticker of the Week
44:20 – Turning familiar phrases into invitations to awaken
47:00 – Where awakening fits with Christmas now
48:00 – The birth of inner light after the dark night
49:20 – The “star,” intuition, and inner guidance
50:30 – The manger, humility, and the human condition
51:20 – Gifts, soul gifts, and what we really bring to each other
52:30 – Making Christmas an inner event instead of a religious obligation
54:20 – Final reflections & a conscious Christmas blessing

In this powerful and deeply vulnerable first video episode, Clint opens up about the past 11 months that completely changed his life — the unraveling of identity, the collapse of the body, and the slow, sacred rebirth that followed.

From full-body spasms and sleepless nights to moments of surrender and spiritual awakening, this is the raw and unfiltered story behind Clint’s physical awakening — what it really looks like when the body becomes the teacher.

Alongside Rachelle, he shares the fear, humor, humility, and transformation that unfolded as his body pulled him into consciousness, breaking through the illusion of control and teaching him what true healing really means.

✨ Awakening through illness — when your body becomes your guide
✨ Releasing trauma stored in the fascia and nervous system
✨ From control and striving to surrender and presence

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🎧 Listen on all platforms → Listen Now
🌀 Unchurching is for the spiritually curious, the deconstructing, and the awakening.

📲 Follow us on Instagram: @unchurchingpodcast
🌐 Learn more or book mentorship: unchurchingpodcast.com

⏱️ Chapters
00:00 – Welcome to Our First Video Episode
01:00 – Why We’re Sharing This Story Now
03:00 – The Impossible Year: 11 Months of Awakening
07:00 – The Night It All Began
10:00 – Spasms, ER Visits & Confusion
14:00 – The Wellness Center & Black Blood Revelation
17:00 – Heavy Metals, Trauma, and the Turning Point
22:00 – When the Body Becomes the Teacher
26:00 – From Startup Burnout to Breakdown
33:00 – Stress, Responsibility & Survival Mode
40:00 – The Gun Moment: When Life Feels Too Heavy
47:00 – Finding Meaning in the Darkness
51:00 – Meeting the Shaman – The Day of Rebirth
56:00 – Learning to Rest, Release, and Receive
01:03:00 – Energy Healing, Self-Talk & Speaking to the Body
01:10:00 – Fascia, Memory & Generational Trauma
01:16:00 – Nervous System Rewiring & Safety
01:23:00 – Healing Without the System: Presence Over Pills
01:29:00 – Grieving the Life You Lost
01:35:00 – Releasing the Old Self & Integrating the New
01:44:00 – Near-Death & the Rebirth Experience
01:52:00 – Lessons from the Edge of Life
01:55:00 – Living From Presence, Not Performance
01:57:00 – Gratitude, Love, and Closing Reflections

In this deeply personal and eye-opening episode, Clint and Rachelle open up about what happens when spiritual awakening takes over the body. From nerve pain and insomnia to emotional waves and physical recalibration, they explore how awakening isn’t just a state of mind — it’s a full-body transformation.

They discuss how trauma lives in the fascia, why the nervous system holds the key to healing, and how to tell the difference between illness and awakening. With honesty, humor, and compassion, they share their lived experience of physical awakening — the confusion, the beauty, and the unshakable trust that the body knows what it’s doing.

✨ Your body isn’t betraying you — it’s leading you home
✨ Pain isn’t punishment — it’s communication
✨ You’re not falling apart — you’re waking up

–––
🎧 Listen on all platforms → Listen Now
🌀 Unchurching is for the spiritually curious, the deconstructing, and the awakening.

📲 Follow us on Instagram: @unchurchingpodcast
🌐 Learn more or book mentorship: unchurchingpodcast.com

⏱️ Chapters
00:00 – Welcome & Disclaimer
02:30 – The Misunderstanding of Physical Awakening
06:00 – Diagnosed or Awakening?
09:30 – The Emotional Toll & Trusting Intuition
13:00 – Awakening Through the Body
17:00 – Energy, Fascia & the Nervous System
22:00 – Survival Mode & the Fight-or-Flight Trap
28:00 – Childhood Trauma & Emotional Imprints
33:00 – Releasing Stored Pain & Triggers
38:00 – When Old Wounds Resurface
44:00 – Physical Symptoms of Awakening
50:00 – Digestion, Hormones & Recalibration
55:00 – The Nervous System as Messenger
01:00:00 – Speaking to the Body & Rewiring Safety
01:05:00 – Integration & The New Body
01:08:00 – Final Reflections: You’re Not Broken

In this profound and illuminating conversation, Clint and Rachelle sit down with their friend Hudson, a decorated combat veteran turned shamanic healer, to explore how trauma, awakening, and spirit are all interwoven in the human journey of healing.

From the battlefield to the breathwork mat, Hudson shares his powerful story of transformation — how his search for relief from PTSD and deep emotional pain became an unexpected initiation into shamanic practice and service to others. Together, they unpack what true healing means beyond religion, how ancient practices meet modern awakening, and how reconnecting to spirit is not rebellion — it’s remembrance.

✨ Shamanic healing vs. pastor/therapist/healer — what actually changes in the body
✨ Guilt, shame, and fear as energetic imprints — and how they’re removed, not “managed”
✨ The parallels between shamanic wisdom and the teachings of Jesus & the mystics

–––
🎧 Listen on all platforms → Listen Now
🌀 Unchurching is for the spiritually curious, the deconstructing, and the awakening.

📲 Follow us on Instagram: @unchurchingpodcast
🌐 Learn more or book mentorship: unchurchingpodcast.com

Connect with Hudson:

www.handsoferra.org

Instagram

⏱️ Chapters
00:00 – Welcome & Setup
01:20 – From Soldier to Shaman: Hudson’s Story
05:10 – Awakening Through Trauma
08:45 – The Whisper That Begins Healing
12:00 – Misconceptions About Shamanic Work
17:00 – Shaman vs. Pastor, Therapist & Healer
21:00 – Trauma, Energy & the Luminous Field
25:30 – Why Mind-Only Work Can’t Release Body Trauma
31:00 – Transmuting vs. Removing Dense Energy
36:00 – Guilt, Shame & Generational Programs
43:00 – Fear, Spirits & True Discernment
49:30 – Parallels with Jesus & the Mystics
54:30 – Remembering the Divine Within
58:00 – Daily Practices to Reconnect with Spirit
01:00:00 – Supporting Veterans & Loved Ones Through Awakening
01:05:00 – Strength, Service & Consciousness Redefined
01:11:30 – Closing Reflections

If last week was about seeing the pattern, this week is about breaking it.

In Part 2 of The Cult Condition, Clint and Rachelle move from awareness to action — exploring how to heal, rebuild trust, and reclaim your autonomy after leaving control-based systems. They unpack how to find healthy community, rebuild faith without dogma, and rediscover freedom as responsibility — not rebellion.

Through personal stories and practical guidance, they share how to re-pattern your nervous system, restore your inner voice, and rebuild trust after manipulation. You’ll learn how to choose from love instead of fear, cultivate conscious community, and redefine what faith and belonging mean after leaving systems of control.

✨ Freedom isn’t rebellion — it’s responsibility.
✨ You don’t have to reject everything you loved, only the fear that came with it.
✨ You haven’t lost God — you’ve remembered love.

–––
🌀 Unchurching is for the spiritually curious, the deconstructing, and the awakening.

📲 Follow us on Instagram: @unchurchingpodcast
🌐 Learn more or book mentorship: unchurchingpodcast.com

⏱️ Chapters
00:00 – Welcome Back: From Awareness to Action
02:00 – What Real Freedom Looks Like
04:30 – Healing After Control-Based Systems
07:10 – Awareness vs. Repatterning
09:00 – Red Flags and Green Flags in Community
12:30 – What Healthy Belonging Feels Like
15:45 – Emotional Safety and True Autonomy
18:00 – Correction vs. Control
21:30 – Nervous System Healing and Trust
25:00 – Rebuilding Faith Beyond Systems
28:00 – Finding Your Voice and Healthy Disagreement
32:00 – Repatterning After Manipulation
36:00 – Restoring Inner Dialogue and Self-Compassion
40:00 – Building Safe Curiosity
43:30 – Redefining Belonging and Freedom
47:30 – Choosing from Fear or Freedom
50:30 – Cultivating Conscious Community
54:00 – Faith as Presence, Not Certainty
59:00 – Remembering Love: Reclaiming Peace

In this provocative and insightful episode, Clint and Rachelle dive headfirst into a question many have thought but few have said aloud: Is the Church a cult?

Prompted by a listener’s message about cult definitions, they explore the overlap between religious systems and cultish behavior — not to condemn, but to awaken awareness. This isn’t a “church-bashing” episode; it’s an honest look at how control can quietly replace curiosity in any human system — from religion to politics to wellness and even awakening spaces.

Together, they unpack the key markers of cultish dynamics — fear-based loyalty, unquestioned leadership, behavior control, and “us vs. them” thinking — while sharing their own experiences navigating these patterns. They discuss why good people get caught in manipulative systems, how belonging and certainty can be used against us, and why awareness, not anger, is the path to freedom.

✨ Cults aren’t defined by beliefs — they’re defined by behavior.
✨ Awareness, not anger, is what frees us.
✨ True community creates freedom, not conformity.

–––
🌀 Unchurching is for the spiritually curious, the deconstructing, and the awakening.

📲 Follow us on Instagram: @unchurchingpodcast
🌐 Learn more or book mentorship: unchurchingpodcast.com

⏱️ Chapters
00:00 – Welcome & Listener Inspiration
01:00 – Why We’re Talking About This
02:45 – Defining Cult Behavior (Without the Anger)
04:30 – Cultish Patterns Beyond Religion
06:00 – The Cult in All of Us
07:45 – Belonging, Control, and Sovereignty
09:30 – What Defines a Cult?
11:15 – The Anointed Leader: Unquestioned Devotion
14:30 – Fear-Based Loyalty & “Us vs. Them” Thinking
17:00 – Control of Thoughts and Behavior
19:00 – Doctrine Over the Person
20:55 – Community vs. Control
23:00 – Why We Stay: Belonging, Certainty, Purpose
25:45 – The Human Need for Safety & Meaning
28:00 – When Systems Use Those Needs Against You
31:00 – The Psychology of Cult Behavior
33:15 – Fear of Doubt & Suppression of Curiosity
35:30 – Emotional Control and Behavior Policing
38:00 – Why Good People Get Trapped
41:00 – Authority Obedience and Group Pressure
43:30 – Cognitive Dissonance: Defending the System
46:30 – Belonging and Manipulation
48:30 – Unity Consciousness and True Belonging
53:00 – Cultish Patterns in Awakening Spaces
56:00 – Spiritual Hierarchies and “Next-Level” Selling
58:00 – The Myth of the Trigger and Spiritual Ego
01:00:30 – Awareness, Not Anger, Brings Freedom
01:02:00 – Reflection Questions for Self-Awareness
01:04:30 – Awakening: From Belonging to Love, Not Control
01:06:00 – Outro & What’s Coming in Part 2

In this intimate solo episode, Rachelle explores one of awakening’s most liberating paradoxes: learning to “know nothing.”

She shares how leaving religious certainty opened a wider world of curiosity, peace, and genuine learning—starting with unlearning. From the ego’s addiction to being right, to the freedom of saying “I don’t know,” Rachelle reframes wisdom as a posture, not a pile of facts. She unpacks the difference between religion’s safety-in-answers and awakening’s freedom-in-openness, and introduces a powerful law from her studies: you don’t understand your way into peace—you peace your way into understanding.

You’ll also hear about staying non-judgmental while exploring new ideas, choosing your “teacher” (ego vs. peace), why innocence and curiosity matter, and how free will and openness shape spiritual experience. She closes with a grounding affirmation to carry into your week.

✨ Key ideas:

• Unlearning before learning: why dismantling certainty comes first

• Ego vs. peace as teachers: choosing curiosity over defense

• “Peace first, then understanding”: practicing the paradox in daily life

–––
🌀 Unchurching is for the spiritually curious, the deconstructing, and the awakening.

📲 Follow us on Instagram: @unchurchingpodcast
🌐 Learn more or book mentorship: unchurchingpodcast.com

⏱️ Chapters
00:00 – Welcome & why this is a solo episode
02:10 – Clint’s healing update & what’s ahead
04:10 – Unlearning before learning: opening the field
06:35 – Letting go of forbidden books & fear-based limits
09:15 – The paradox: remembering… and realizing you know nothing
11:25 – Curiosity dissolves fear (Day of the Dead example)
13:40 – Religion vs. awakening: safety in answers vs. freedom in openness
15:45 – The ego’s addiction to certainty
16:55 – Study note: A Course in Miracles and conscious reframes
18:45 – “I don’t know” as a spiritual practice
20:30 – When spiritual circles mirror religious rigidity
22:05 – Do I seek peace or to be right? (Non-judgment check)
22:55 – Peace first, then understanding (“peace teaches”)
25:35 – Staying open under criticism; sovereignty for all paths
26:55 – Stillness over study for revelation
27:55 – Willing to learn everything: openness as posture
29:10 – Free will and inviting spiritual experiences
30:20 – Two teachers: ego (attack) vs. peace (inner guide)
33:05 – Stop attending the ego’s class
33:45 – Childlike innocence & curiosity as the way in
35:00 – Summary: returning to innocence, curiosity, peace
36:35 – Closing affirmation

In this powerful and emotional conversation, Clint and Rachelle explore how guilt became one of religion’s most effective tools of control—and how awakening reveals that it was never real in the first place.

A listener comment quoting “The wages of sin is death” sparks a deep dive into how guilt has been weaponized through doctrine, fear, and manipulation. They unpack how guilt keeps people small, separate, and afraid, and how it shows up even after leaving organized religion—through social conditioning, judgment, and self-punishment.

Through vulnerability and laughter, they reframe guilt not as divine justice, but as the illusion of separation from love. They reinterpret sin as forgetfulness, death as the loss of awareness, and salvation as the remembrance of who you already are.

✨ Guilt isn’t proof of sin—it’s proof of separation.
✨ You don’t need to earn forgiveness—only awareness.
✨ When guilt dissolves, love takes its place.

–––
🌀 Unchurching is for the spiritually curious, the deconstructing, and the awakening.

📲 Follow us on Instagram: @unchurchingpodcast
🌐 Learn more or book mentorship: unchurchingpodcast.com

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 – Welcome & Listener Comment: “The Wages of Sin is Death”
03:45 – Fear Disguised as Concern
06:40 – How the Church Weaponized Guilt
08:00 – Emotional Rescue: Layers of Guilt
11:00 – Reframing “The Wages of Sin is Death”
13:30 – Sin Management & Control
17:45 – Fear, Confession & Control Systems
20:00 – Guilt as a Moral Leash
21:30 – Guilt and Self-Worth
24:00 – Passive-Aggressive Spirituality After Church
27:15 – Be Angry and Do Not Lose Consciousness
30:00 – Reinterpreting “Eternal Life Through Christ”
33:00 – Rebirth and the Death of Awareness
35:10 – From Guilt to Guiltlessness
38:40 – Guilt Isn’t Real: The Illusion of Separation
40:50 – Letting Go of Shame for Past Unconsciousness
44:00 – Compassion, Shadow Work & Healing
45:00 – Affirmations for Releasing Guilt
46:00 – Living in a Guiltless World
48:00 – Joy as the Opposite of Guilt
49:50 – Awareness Practices & Reframing Guilt
52:00 – Closing Reading: “Go Forth and Be Free of Guilt”