In this episode of Money Tales, our guest is Margarita Camarena. Margarita’s relationship with money was shaped by two extremes. As a child, she fled Mexico City after the 1985 earthquake, lost her father that same year, and arrived in the U.S. with her family starting from zero. Years later, after earning two degrees from UC Davis, a lifestyle pivot collided with the 2008 financial crisis and led Margarita to bankruptcy. That decision forced her to face the shame and fear that can come with financial collapse, along with the freedom that can follow. With a mother who taught saving and structure and a father who believed life is meant to be enjoyed while you are healthy, Margarita’s story is a powerful lesson in balance and in seeing money as an energy that needs to move.

Xochitl Xiuh Ollin, also known as Margarita Camarena, is a Mayan Ajq’ij. She is also a craniosacral therapist, Reiki Master Teacher and manual therapist. She is Tenochca-Tlatelolca, born in Mexico City between the ancient twin cities of Tlatelolco and Tenochtitlan. As a child, she learned from her grandparents how to carry life in a holistic way through remedies and healing practices. Their approach to finances was conservative and rooted in respect, as money was understood to be a primary resource for security and for providing a “comfortable elderhood.” These practices were not labeled curanderismo; they were simply a way of life.

As an Ajq’ij, Margarita’s role is that of a spiritual guide, carrier of time and fire priestess. She conducts many types of fire ceremonies and works with the 20 sacred Mayan energies and the 13 frequencies of life to guide people. She embraces a multidisciplinary practice that includes craniosacral therapy, Indigenous healing arts, Reiki and multidimensional bodywork. She carries the medicines of sacred lineages from the Zapotec, Maya, Toltec and Mexica traditions.

She serves communities in San Francisco and throughout the Bay Area. She is also an educator and offers workshops nationwide and in Mexico, sharing teachings in Indigenous healing, bodywork, medicinal astrology, energy work and Reiki. It is her passion to connect people to nature and ancestral lineages through ceremonies in natural settings and through the cultivation of ritual.

Her background is in Art and Design. She comes from a lineage of female curanderas and parteras (midwives), as well as male artists and muralists—traditions she has inherited and continues to practice.

Margarita’s story is a powerful reminder that money is never just about accumulation. It is about balance, resilience and the meaning we assign to our experiences. From rebuilding her life after loss and displacement to making the difficult decision to file for bankruptcy, she shows how moments often framed by fear or shame can become turning points for growth and renewal. By reframing money as an exchange of energy, Margarita invites us to consider how our financial choices intersect with health, purpose and the lives we hope to live over the long term. Her reflections on community, fear and legacy offer a more expansive view of longevity, not just in years lived, but in impact felt.

If you’re thinking about how to plan while navigating financial setbacks or major life transitions, an Aspiriant advisor can help you evaluate options, restore confidence and build a plan that aligns your resources with your values.

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