Ashley’s Spirituality Effect Her Marriage To Manuel

Summary Manuel disapproves of Ashley's spiritual work due to his Catholic beliefs, causing friction in their marriage.

Ashley's spiritual practices clash with Manuel's Catholic background, putting their relationship at risk.

Manuel makes sacrifices to compromise on religion for Ashley, showing his love and commitment to their marriage.

90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After? star Ashley Michelle makes a living through spiritual practice, which is at odds with her husband Manuel Velez’s Catholic beliefs. Manuel frequently disapproves of Ashley’s profession, asking her not to refer to herself as a witch due to the word’s negative connotation. The couple’s interaction with Manuel’s uncle showed how strong his family’s religion is and may be incompatible with Ashley’s spiritual path.

Ashley and Manuel did not have a straightforward journey to marriage. They met at a bar in Ecuador and began dating, but then broke up and were not married until ten years later. Manuel moved from Ecuador to Rochester, New York, to be with Ashley. Their differences continue to cause friction in their relationship. Manuel has not allowed Ashley to meet his children, which is a great source of frustration for her. The couple’s trust and communication issues threaten the future of their marriage if they can not learn to work through their differences.

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Ashley Is A Spiritual Mentor

Disagrees With Many Of Her Teachings

Close

Ashley describes her profession as a witch. She is an astrologer, tarot reader, and spiritual business mentor who uses her work to “help people with energy.” Ashley has a podcast, The Goddess Complex, which expands on her spiritual work and mentoring. Her teachings blend spirituality and fitness — Ashley has been open about her weight-loss journey and she's also a spin instructor. Ashley’s social media is full of inspirational messages about self-healing and self-realization.

Ashley’s work impacts nearly every part of her life. Manuel had a difficult time understanding Ashley’s profession, particularly her use of the term "witch," as it has a negative connotation to him. Many of their conflicts have revolved around their opposing sets of beliefs. Manuel comes from a very different spiritual background than Ashley, which makes it hard for him to accept some of her practices.

Manuel’s Catholic Background Is At Odds With Many Of Ashley’s Practices

They Struggle To Understand Each Other’s Beliefs

Manuel practices Catholicism, which is a stark contrast to Ashley’s beliefs. Catholicism prohibits several of the elements of Ashley’s spiritual practice. Many of the mystical elements of Ashley’s work call upon what Catholicism would consider false gods. Catholicism doesn't allow much deviation in its teachings, and this puts Manuel in the difficult position of being in love with a woman whose work goes against his religion.

In 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After? season 8, Ashley joined Manuel at a Catholic church in an attempt to understand his religion. She had never been to a Catholic Church and she was baffled by many of the rituals she witnessed. It was clear how much it meant to Manuel that Ashley joined him at church. Manuel hoped showing Ashley the church's difference from her beliefs would help her understand why he didn't want his family to know about her spiritual practices.

Ashley said she felt “incredibly uncomfortable and out of place” in the church, but she understood the importance of her and Manuel attempting to understand each other. 90 Day Fiancé is about couples adapting to one another’s cultures, and Ashley and Manuel’s religious conflict is another example of spouses’ mutual efforts to understand one another. After the service, Ashley and Manuel spoke to a deacon, and she was open about her work in spirituality. The deacon noted the Christian faith “cannot tolerate” some of Ashley’s practices.

Manuel is making Ashley feel unwelcomed.

Manuel Wanted To Protect Ashley By Avoiding The Topic With His Family

He Knew His Catholic Family Would Not Approve

Ashley and Manuel sought advice from the deacon about how to handle the topic of Ashley’s work with Manuel’s family. The deacon warned Ashley to be careful how much she disclosed because the information would be difficult for conservative Catholics to handle. When Ashley and Manuel traveled to New York City to see Manuel’s extended family, the meeting with his uncle was tense.

Manuel had asked Ashley not to discuss her spiritual work or beliefs with his uncle. However, Ashley’s work is such a huge part of her life and she found it difficult to hide her beliefs. The conversation quickly turned to religion when Manuel’s uncle brought up the religious aspects of marriage, and Ashley started to understand how serious religion is to Manuel’s family.

Manuel is asking Ashley to hide a part of herself she doesn't want to hide.

Manuel’s uncle was shaken by Ashley’s practices of tarot and astrology, which contradicted Catholic teachings. When interviewed after their meeting, he maintained that Ashley’s work has no place in the family’s religion. Despite going against Manuel’s advice and sharing the nature of her work, Ashley did heed his request to avoid using the word witch around his uncle, which Manuel appreciated. The interaction showed they were each trying to compromise, and Ashley appreciated the opportunity to get to know Manuel’s family.

Manuel’s Willingness To Compromise On Religion Shows His Love For Ashley

He Values Their Love Over His Faith

Ashley joined Manuel in his religious practice, and Manuel has not shown her the same respect. However, Ashley’s work doesn't directly condemn Manuel’s, whereas Catholicism has a strong ruling that many of Ashley’s practices are sinful. Due to the restrictive nature of the Catholic Church and the devotion of Manuel’s family to those teachings, he makes a greater sacrifice by accepting Ashley’s work. He may sometimes give her a hard time, but being married to a woman who goes against his religion proves Manuel values his marriage over his faith.

Manuel is not big on showing affection for his wife, and it's easy to question the couple’s feelings for one another. However, Manuel offers small signs of his deep love for Ashley. He once stated he doesn’t mind fighting if it helps them resolve and avoid having the same issue in the future. Manuel and Ashley make up quickly after disagreements, and though they can get heated, they usually don't resort to hurtful arguments.

Manuel is slowly introducing Ashley to his family. He was shown on 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After? attending one of Ashley’s spin classes, which he didn't enjoy. And by being in a relationship with somebody whose spiritual views are vastly different from his own, Manuel puts aside the teachings of his religion as Ashley follows her passion. This type of understated support proves he is on her side despite their differences.

Manuel and Ashley aren't on the same page with their spiritual beliefs, but they are constantly seeking to understand one another's views. Their conflicting beliefs don't appear to cause a major fracture in their relationship. The 90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After? couple is learning to find common ground despite being so different. As long as Ashley and Manuel continue to respect each other’s beliefs, they can maintain their own identities while building a life together.

90 Day Fiancé: Happily Ever After? airs Sundays at 8 p.m. EDT on TLC.