I am currently reading Sassafrass, Cypress, & Indigo by Ntozake Shange and I am steadily falling in love with these three sisters and their stories of girlhood and womanhood.


But one of the things I love most about the book is that it is truly a celebration of female-ness, sharing a deep love of our arts, our movements, our creativity, our love, our bodies, and yes, our Moon time.


Indigo is the youngest of the three sisters; she is both sensitive and tough as seen in her creation of the dolls that are her best friends and in her initiation into a street gang. The book describes her first time menstruating, with an older woman saying to her, “Take your blessing and let your blood flow among the roses.” I found so much liberation in that line. It seems that we live in a time where women’s monthly flow is something to be stopped up and closed off and hidden instead of something to celebrate, cherish, and allow to flow naturally. Indigo tells her dolls, in her “Marvelous Menstruating Moments” that:

Today, June 21st, is the first day of summer–and the longest day of the year– in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of winter–and the shortest day of the year– in the Southern Hemisphere. In both cases this is the first day of the astrological month Cancer, the sign of the mother


Cancer is a water sign and in astrology, water is the element that corresponds to our emotions, our feelings, and our subconscious habits and desires. Cancer is also a cardinal sign, meaning that it directs its energy very purposefully and straightforwardly. Putting those two attributes together (cardinal water) we can better understand Cancer and why it is associated with motherhood: it very directly and purposefully expresses emotions, picks up subtle feelings, and create safe places where we can be confront our emotions in a safe and supportive environment.


To read more please visit:http://riverofhoney.wordpress.com

Every Monday, after I do my chakra meditation, I consult my Osho Tarot Deck and ask for a lesson I need to focus on in the coming week. The Osho Transformation Tarot features startlingly beautiful images on cards that describe themes important to developing spirituality. The deck is accompanied by a book of parables that explains the meaning of the theme. (To read more about the Transformation Tarot go here.)


Last Monday, I selected the "Authenticity" card. The lesson accompanying explained that authenticity is not a trait we should develop on the spiritual path; it is the spiritual path. Our destination means nothing without authenticity; therefore authenticity is the path.

On May 27, 2010, Uranus, the planet of freedom, rebellion, revolution, anarchy, genius, innovation, and swift changes moved into the fiery, aggressive, and independent sign of Aries. This movement is a huge deal because Uranus (along with Neptune and Pluto) is considered to be a generational planet because of the long length of its orbit. For example, Uranus was in Pisces since 2003. Therefore its energy affected a large group of people, as everyone born from March 2003 until May 2010 had this placement in their natal charts. The effects of the generational planets are less subtle within the individual personality and tend to affect larger world events and movements.


When Uranus was in Pisces it seemed that more and more people began taking the unbeaten path in order to develop their own spirituality. Pisces is the sign of the seeker, the one who seeks mystical union with the nameless. With the planet of freedom and rebellion in Pisces it is easy to see why this is the case.

Dr. Gabrielle Jamela Hosein breaks down the need for a feminist revolution! Please watch the video at http://feminismisforeverybody.wordpress.com/ and leave a comment.


Quote from her speech: "A majority of both women and men lose from how the world is organized but women are hit hardest because of their sex. That's why the heart of this movement is mobilizing girls and women to individually and collectively take action to transform gender injustice. Yet feminists struggle seek a better world for boys and men too, a world less violent, a world where a worker could buy even a small hoe, a world safer for your child and sister, a world where there are fewer guns, less killings, where people are equal, where we take better care of the earth and one another, where we can be who we are, excel in school, make informed choices, and get respect...Women and men are not much different. We both want to be loved, listened to, treated like a human being, helped...This is why feminism is for everybody."

On May 27, at 7:07 EST, the moon reaches her fullness in the fire sign of Sagittarius. As a fire sign, Sagittarius is concerned about identity and self-esteem–how we create and shape our identity so that we can function this world. As a mutable sign, Sagittarius focuses on learning about identity, asking how we fit into the larger scheme of things, how we fit into the divine plan.


In astrology, Sagittarius rules the 9th House, the House of higher education, religion/philosophy, law, and travel. In essence, it rules expansion of the self (education, travel) and an understanding of higher truth (religion/philosophy, law).


The time of the full moon, while magically it represents a time of abundance and reaping, it represents balance on a psychological level. When the moon is full it opposes the sun in the opposite sign, emphasizing an astrological axis. In this case, it is the Gemini - Sagittarius axis that is being emphasized. Gemini represents the lower mind, the mind that researches, seeks out details, and gathers necessary information. Sagittarius rules the higher mind, it synthesizes, looks at the big picture, tries to see the broadest view.

Happy Mothers’ Day! To all of the women who mother, nurture, and care for others I pray you have a very very blessed day!


Before I head on over to my mother’s house I want to keep my promise to begin sharing my journey through Queen Afua’s Sacred Foods Gateway while working on my root chakra.

A few months ago, I blogged a bit about my journey through the chakras but I never continued with that work. I have been studying the chakras and the exercises and meditations used to develop them for a few years now but I have not spent nearly as much time as I need to truly understand their energy.


But something about the springtime gives me the inspiration to go fervently after what I know I need in order to truly grow and develop myself.


Some I am going back to the root.


The root chakra forms the foundation and support for the rest of the chakra system. The root chakra, which is associated with the earth element, is red and represents the densest energy of the visible light spectrum. It is also associated with the planet Saturn, which represents structure, stability, and limitations. Limitations is not to be taken negatively; in this sense, when we are aware of our limitations as human beings, we can make intelligent choices and take our duties and responsibilities seriously. The number 4 is associated with the root chakra; in numerology the number 4 relates to stability and structure.

Last week I read a blog that really helped me to understand ancestral work. (Here’s the link if you want to check it out. It’s a great blog!) I am understanding that it is so much more than just lighting candles and living pretty bouquets of flowers; it is about investing time to develop a relationship, to work on making the connection strong so that I can begin to benefit from their wisdom.

So this past Sunday, I created a spiritual bath of rosemary and basil and, using a bit of Florida Water, cleansed and consecrated my egun altar. As I was doing so, I felt so peaceful and so grounded — so important for one who lacks Earth in her chart! It always like “ahhhh!” whenever I feel connected to the physical in a balanced way, because I often don’t. In any case, I felt like I was creating a sacred space to do work with my ancestors.

To read more, please visit http://riverofhoney.wordpress.com/.

An essential function in African traditional religious belief is ancestral work. To African people, ancestors are a vital part of the community.

The idea of working with ancestors was really difficult for me. When I was first introduced to African traditional religious beliefs, I was still very much entrenched in European ideas of spirituality. Though I had already felt deep within me that there was much more to the universe than what I had learned in church — I intuitively knew that the world was not just this physical universe and that my only connection to the spiritual world was Jesus — I still was not really sure what to believe. The idea that we could and should honor dead relatives was so foreign when I had been taught that when people die they either go to heaven or hell!

Even after I committed to being an aborisha (worshipper of the orishas) I still was not sure what to think when my godmother talked about having an ancestral shrine and spiritual misas –ceremonies that involved communicating with the dead. It wasn’t so much that I didn’t believe or wasn’t curious — I was VERY curious, lol — I just did not know what to think about it all.

Taurus, the second astrological month, is an Earth sign. This means it corresponds to the physical and material realm, including the physical body. It relates to physical and financial resources, including the values we hold that attract us to certain objects in the physical realm.

Taurus is also a fixed sign, meaning that it directs its energy toward stabilizing and maintaining, rather than initiating (like the cardinal signs) or ending/transitioning (like the mutable signs).

Taurus’ focus is embodiment – a sense of “being here,” “being present,” and “being aware.” Cultivating Taurus energy in our lives helps up to truly enjoy our human existence. It is a sensual energy, meaning that it allows us to indulge in our senses in healthy ways, ways that being joy and sweetness to our lives rather than imbalance and compulsion.

To read more please visit: http://riverofhoney.wordpress.com/

Today I am launched my Etsy shop! Here I will be selling spiritual candles and baths as well as handmade jewelry and body care products!


Today I listed my carved and dressed uncrossing candle that is used to unbind or reverse negative energy or hexes directed towards you. They should be used cautiously but trust me — they certainly get the job done!


I also listed my astrological chart reading and consultation. For only $60, you can receive an in-depth natal chart reading and phone consultation.


You can visit http://www.etsy.com/shop/RiverofHoney for more info and to make a purchase!

“When we are face to face with truth, the point of view of Krishna, Buddha, Christ, or any other Prophet, is the same. When we look at life from the top of the mountain, there is no limitation; there is the same immensity.”

~Hazrat Inayat Khan

When I first heard these words of Hazrat Inayat Khan, a Sufi teacher from India, I was immediately struck by the way his words resonated with me. They really resonated because I fought against them — not necessarily his exact words, but the idea of them– for a number of years.

To read more please visit: http://riverofhoney.wordpress.com/

Tomorrow, April 14th, the moon begins to come put of hiding in the sign of Aries, representing the new moon phase. This is definitely a time of beginnings, as both Aries and the new moon represent beginnings.


The house that the new moon falls in your chart will help determine the energy that this moon phase brings to you. In my chart, the new moon falls in the elusive 12th House, the house of solitude, karma, and the subconscious realm. The New Moon in the 12th House also means that this is the end of my lunar cycle and that it’s time for me to bring focus to what I want to manifest this coming lunar year.


To find out where the new moon falls in your natal chart visit www.astro.com.


To read more please visit: http://riverofhoney.wordpress.com/.

Tomorrow the moon rises to fullness in Libra, the sign of “the other,” relationships and balance. Libra is an air sign, meaning that its focus is in the realm of the intellect and socializing. Libra is the leader of the air signs, actively working to create harmony and balance in our relationships. Ruled by Venus, the planet of beauty, love, and attraction (the embodiment of Oshun!), one of Libra’s symbols, besides the scales, is the mirror. The mirror shows us ourselves; in Libra we are shown ourselves through the mirror of relationships.

In the Full Moon, the Libra Moon is opposite the Aries Sun, creating a balance between our ability to develop a personal identity (Aries) with our ability to learn how to work with a partner with others (Libras). This is the test: how will we balance our personal needs with the needs of others? We are not called to completely sacrifice ourselves for the needs of others — we are not meant to be doormats. However, we are also not meant to ignore the needs of others and be selfish. So how do we maintain a balance?

To read more, please visit www.riverofhoney.wordpress.com/

http://riverofhoney.wordpress.com/

Less than a week after the House passed the historic health care reform bill, there has been mixed reaction from women’s groups and feminists on the impact of this bill on the reproductive rights of women.

Despite the fact that the health care bill will give about 31 million uninsured Americans access to health care, “The final health-care reform bill represents a huge loss for the pro-choice movement,” writes Dana Goldstein at The Daily Beast.

She explains that:

…the bill was passed at the expense of poor women’s reproductive rights. Middle-class and rich women—the wives, daughters, and mistresses of politicians—can always travel to get an abortion or pay out of pocket if they have to. Poor women cannot, and as 60 percent of American women who seek abortion already have kids they struggle to care for, it is children alive today who will suffer.

Today marks the 94th anniversary of Marcus Mosiah Garvey’s arrival in the United States. Born in Jamaica, Garvey was a journalist, publisher, Black Nationalist, and Pan-Africanist. In his travels to various countries around the world he was struck by the fact that people of Afrikan descent were always living in the poorest conditions. Booker T. Washington’s book Up from Slavery, which describes Washington’s idea and plan for Black economic independence, inspired Garvey to create the United Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) and nationalist organization that is still in operation today.

The weather over here in the Northeast region of the United States has been absolutely amazing this past week. Yesterday, the first day of Spring, it was 72 degrees! My godfamily and I celebrated together by having a barbecue out in the park — a delight for me being an iyawo considering that, as a general rule, I am not permitted to hang out in the park. The weather was perfect, the food was delicious, and we were able to spend time out in the sun.

Can’t you tell that I am just brimming with spring fever?

But, of course, spring does not only mark the beginning of warmer weather and the budding of beautiful flowers. The first day of spring is the vernal equinox, one of the two times of the year (the other time is the autumnal equinox, thr first day of fall) where the lengths of day and night are equal. From this point onward, the length of daylight becomes longer than that of nighttime, until the time of Summer Solstice, which is the longest day of the year.

But we’ll save discussion about that until June 20.

I can’t believe the time of New Moon is already upon us! This month the fresh, renewing, and regenerating energy of the New Moon is in the dreamy, imaginative, and compassionate sign of Pisces.

The New Moon is a wonderful time to refocus our energy towards what we want in life. If you have been feeling scattered like I have beeen feeling lately, this is a great time to un-scatter your energy and bring it back to the center. The New Moon is the time of beginnings; it’s energy is much like the spring time or dawn, full of possibilities and wonder.

I have gone into detail about the energy of Pisces before but to recap, Pisces is a water sign, meaning that it corresponds to the emotional and subconscious realm. As a mutable, flexible, and sometimes nebulous sign Pisces is considered to be the most psychic of all of the signs. It is considered the realm of the subconscious mind that easily filters energy and information to us the collective consciousness. It is a sign of much depth which is why it is very much connected to the ocean and the orisa Olokun, the orisa of the ocean depths.

To read more please visit: http://riverofhoney.wordpress.com/

When studying astrology, many astrologers focus on the 8 planets (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto) and the 2 luminaries (the Sun and the Moon) collective referred to as “the planets.” These 10 planets are considered the different urges and desires within our psyches that we are seeking to fulfill during this lifetime. Focus on the these 10 planets and where they are found in the natal chart usually results in a well-rounded and detailed understanding of the personality.

However, I have found that a look at where some of the asteroids fall in the chart is also helpful. This is the case particularly for women as the asteroids have been associated with feminine personas from Greek and Roman mythology which of course, as we know, is an adaptation of African spiritual science.

Today at 4:33 am EST the planet Venus entered the fiery and enthusiastic sign of Aries, giving us the perfect recipe for a fiery romance!

Venus, the planet of attraction, harmony, refinement, beauty, and sensuality brings all of these attributes into any sign that she enters. Sometimes, her energy will be more cautious and practical, like when she is in Virgo. At other times she will be sensitive and nurturing, like when she is in Cancer. But in Aries, she is bold and daring, not at all fearful of going after what she wants and expressing her deep affection, attraction, and desires.

To read more please go to http://riverofhoney.wordpress.com/.

Yesterday, at 4:40 pm, the moon reached its fullness in the Earth Sign of Virgo. As an Earth sign, Virgo corresponds to the physical/material realm and asserts itself cautiously, as it as not as moved by inspiration (like the fire signs), emotions (like the water signs), or ideas or theories (like the air signs) as much as it moved by practicality. Earth signs (the other two are Taurus and Capricorn) concern themselves with practical needs, not possibilities.

As I consciously grow and develop myself spiritually one area that I do not want to neglect is my physical body. It can be very easy, especially for someone like me who has no Earth in her natal chart (the earth element corresponds to the physical body and environment as well as the ability to be practical and grounded. I have no planets in the Earth signs, which makes these areas and attributes difficult for me) to neglect my physical health and well-being.

But not only do I want to take care of my body, I want to cultivate my relationship to the earth. I not only want to make good choices for my body but I want to make eating choices that are good for Her body as well.

To read more please visit http://riverofhoney.wordpress.com/.

On February 18, the Sun entered the sign of Pisces…meaning that for those of us who live in the Northern Hemisphere, spring is just around the corner!

Pisces is one of the three water signs (the others are Cancer and Scorpio), meaning that it corresponds to the realm of the emotions, feelings, and the subconsciousness. I like to think of the water element as relating to the soul, the part of ourselves that relates to that which lies deep within and holds every memory, those from this life and from past lives. Pisces is also a mutable sign (along with Gemini, Virgo, and Sagittarius) which means that it is constantly adapting itself so that it can learn and absorb more information. Pisces wants to learn and become more effective in the spiritual realms.

To read more please visit: http://riverofhoney.wordpress.com/

Peace everyone!

I sometimes get questions about how to set up an altar. For me, creating an altar is based on two things: 1- the spiritual work you are doing and 2 – personal preference.

For instance, if you are intending to attract love in your life, then you would want to decorate your altar with colors that reflect love: pinks and reds (though red can mean intense passion so be careful) would be ideal. However, if you can also decorate the altar with personal symbols or objects that correspond with the love principle, like a ring or a heart-shaped charm. So really, it’s up to you.

To read more and see a pic, please visit: http://riverofhoney.wordpress.com/.

On Saturday at 9:51 pm EST, the moon moves into the sign of Aquarius, marking the beginning of the new moon phase for Aquarius 2010.

The New Moon brings fresh, vital energy that is perfect for starting new projects and new beginnings. This is a perfect time to consciously attract anything new that we would like to bring into our lives.

Oshun, Yoruba orisa of love, beauty, and the New Moon
The New Moon phase is related to the orisa Oshun, the orisa of sweetness, love, and beauty. Like Yemoja, Oshun is associated with water but unlike the salty waters of othe ocean that contain Yemoja’s energy, Oshun’s energy is found in the “sweet waters” or lakes, rivers, and streams. Like new moon energy, her waters bring vitality, freshness, and renewal. In many of the patakis, or stories, about Oshun she renews humanity with her energy.

To read more, please visit http://riverofhoney.wordpress.com/. And don't forget to leave a comment! :)

I’m bald and I really want my hair to grow!!!!

Well, the truth is that I am not really bald. But my hair is really, really short. I had long natural hair until my head was shaved during my initiation into the orisa priesthood. And though I feel that the sacrifice was well worth it I am starting to realize something:

I really miss my hair.

It’s coming in slowly and I am loving the little curls that I now feel on my head (feel because I cannot look in the mirror yet to see them). But a few nights ago I had a dream I had big fat juicy twists and I even felt the weight of them as I moved. I was a never a fan of doing hair but I realize that I miss washing, conditioning, and styling my hair, as well as making my homemade hair products.

Rosemary Oil
Then I remembered something. I used to make a hair growth spritz made simply of water, hair conditioner, and rosemary oil that I combined together in a spray bottle that used to contain Bath and Body Works’ Sweet Pea Body Spray (I miss perfumes too. *sigh*). The conditioner helps to keep my hair soft and the rosemary oil stimulates the scalp and helps hair to grow.

Today the planet Venus enters the sign of Pisces. Venus, the ruler of Taurus and Libra, symbolizes personal love, intimacy, attraction, and eroticism. It is often associated with femininity and female beauty. In Taurus, Venus expresses it sensual side while in Libra, Venus expresses refinement and harmonious relationships. The planet Venus is associated with the orisa Oshun, the orisa of beauty, love, joy, and attraction.

Pisces, the water sign of compassion and unconditional love, is ruled by the planet Neptune. Pisces is the sign of personal sacrifice and surrender. Pisces is symbolized by two fish tied to each other, one representing the soul and one representing the personality. If the soul captures the personality, the personality becomes spiritualized. If the personality captures the soul, the soul seeks escape from the world.

To read the rest and leave a comment, please go to: http://riverofhoney.wordpress.com/

I’ve recently finished reading A Taste of Power, an autobiography of ex-Black Panther Elaine Brown. It was truly a fantastic journey; I loved traveling with her as she recounted her days as a youth in North Philadelphia (not too far from where my own family lived) who desired to use her education, light skin, and “good hair” to assimilate into whiteness, her days of “Becoming Black” (one of the chapters in her book) when she finally understood her own oppression and was able to connect that to the oppression of her people, and her rise to power in the Black Panther Power, the vanguard of Black Revolution in the 1960s and 1970s.

I’ve been thinking about this question for the past few weeks. What is spirituality? People define spirituality in many different ways. There were many people at the church I used to attend who understood the words “spiritual” or “spirituality” to mean that a person was not willing to take a firm stance on the side of the truth. To them, when a person said. “I’m spiritual,” they were saying that they make up their own way to God, basically refusing to believe in Jesus Christ, which to them is the only way to God. Some people view spirituality as a road to discovery, discovering yourself and discovering who it is you are becoming.

Even while attending church, I began to see spirituality as something of a contrast to “religiousity.” “Religiousity” felt like attaching myself to dogma instead of being open to all that Spirit has to offer. It felt like putting myself into a teeny-tiny little box in order to hold onto “truth” that was created with someone else in mind.

Please read the rest of this blog and leave a comment at: http://riverofhoney.wordpress.com.

Thanks!