Marianismo is a value, a virtue and a legacy to uphold. We said Legacy, we didn´t finish, Marianismo can be a Legacy Burden with a constant inner voice reminding us to be a polite good daughter whom is dutiful and humble. She is always available to help and does it with a smile. She is always considering everyone so much that consider herself feels like a problem. We could call that: The Guilt of Marianismo.

Here are some pieces of pieces about Marianismo throughout my work. This is a collective invitation to notice and lovingly acknowlege YOUR marianismo or your mom’s marianismo.

Consider that what we are considering right now with mass incarceration and unjust systemic violence in our community is connected to the epigenetic fear and stress our ancestors felt. Our epigenetics are our DNA more often used, like the endurance of a most commonly used skill. In my self tasked obsessive rabbit hole of research and story remembering, I wondered why don´t we talk about Marianismo as a toxic social construct? Given the history of Marianismo roles, can we find legacy resources within our Marianismo values? What Epigenetic magic do ancestors teach us through acknowledging our Marianismo wounds?

These are the conversations we need to be having in therapy and in community healing spaces.

Here are some pieces on Marianismo: (We are starting our next cohort for our virtual Group April 2, 2026), more info at the end.

When considering Marianismo having Legacy resources, inner gifts of craft, artistry, innovation, survival and resilency through our ancestral genes, we can consider our Intuition, our psychic gifts, our connection to the 4 elements and animals, our cooking magic, the way we heal through touch, craft and care.

We see models of this like Maribel´s mom, Julieta Madrigal on Disney´s Encanto who cooks food that physically and spiritually heals her community.

We see this in Frida Kahlo´s art as she transmute her Dark Night of the Soul into timeless legacy art that reckons with the many dimensions of the prism that is a Marianista.

In this conversation, “Hood Honey as Ancestral Medicine” Cynthia interviews Wendy Gonzalez, a female beekeeper, about her journey into beekeeping and her connection to her ancestors. Wendy shares the story of her grandmother, who was a beekeeper in Mexico, and how she was inspired to follow in her footsteps. She discusses the emotional and healing power of beekeeping and the importance of connecting with nature and one’s cultural heritage. Wendy also highlights the historical and cultural significance of bees and the impact of urban beekeeping on communities. The conversation emphasizes the importance of noticing and embracing the signs and connections with ancestors. In this conversation, Wendy shares her deep connection with her ancestors and nature, emphasizing the importance of finding solace in non-human elements. She discusses how her grandmother’s presence is felt in nature, particularly in beekeeping. Wendy also highlights the soothing and calming effects of the sounds of bees, which promote relaxation and mindfulness. She expresses her emotional connection to beekeeping and the impact it has had on her relationship with her daughter. Wendy hopes to be remembered as someone who cared about the world and formed connections with others.

If you would like to continue these conversations and dive deeper into healing this mother wound of Marianismo while sharpening your tools for a life well loved, join us!

We start our next Marianismo virtual Group April 4, 2026!

Here is more info!

If you would like to Sponsor a Spot, we would love to invite others to join our groups. Email Cynthia@rootedinreflection.org to sponsor a participant spot.