Hello

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Those early lessons set the compass for everything I do.

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In my twenties, everything stopped. In 2006 I was diagnosed with late-stage cancer—so advanced that the only option was an experimental, debilitating course of treatment. The months that followed were a true dark night of the soul: pain, uncertainty, and watching my family lose nearly everything as we struggled to keep me alive and start again from scratch. When every familiar remedy failed, I reached for the practices I had only studied at arm’s length. Leaning into prayer, ritual, and the quiet counsel of my ancestors, I learned to hear their guidance with new clarity. Surviving that season convinced me that culture, spirit, and community are not luxuries; they are medicine—and they are the foundation of the work I do today.

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Path of Study & Practice

YearMilestone

• 2003 - Formal apprenticeship at the Cultural Wellness Center with Elder Atum Azzahir, working under the idea of "culture as a means to healing"  and self-study practice. I served on the board (2009–2010) and helped with initiatives such as monthly Elders’ Luncheons, community celebrations, and Backyard Initiatives alongside Eders Akhmiri and Abebech Girma, who mentored me in village building and community care. I received my CA as a Truth Telling & Healing Circle and Facilitator(2014) and was one of the founding members of the TRP(Trauma Recovery Project)

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• 2006  - Began a deep mentorship with Seḥmu Semerit Strachan focused on herbal & nutritional healing, sacred listening, and body-centered  for life, grounded in the “Body as Best Friend” philosophy.

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• 2010 - Started learning within African Traditional Religious communities, guided by Iyas and Babas—including joining a Lukumi Ile, being Crowned and working closely with Iya Amoke Kubat—who expanded my understanding of ancestral ritual and spiritual healing and continues to offer guidence and support as a community Elder and Mother.

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• 2015  - Started studying with Kari Tauring and the Völva Stav Guild. Völva Stav is a Norse-Germanic spiritual philosophy and movement methodology devoted to restoring Northern-European root traditions and healing inherited cultural grief. I came to this work to untangle my own wounds around whiteness, white supremacy, and racism. I joined the Guild in 2017 and deepened my seership and Ancestor-work within the Volva Stav under the guidance and support of Kari Tauring and Bethany Jacobson.

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• 2016 -Began learning and practicing Curanderismo with Maestra Kim Hart, whose teachers, among others, include Maestra Rita Navarate, Maestro Laurencio Núñez, Maestra Hortense, and Maestra Elena Ávila. Through Kim, I received my sashes after a 9-month immersion in traditional medicine,  certifications in the H.A.R.T Method of Firecupping 1, 2, and began assisting in classes.

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How These Lineages Live Inside Folkway LLC

• Spirit-led ancestor work rooted in folk traditions and community care

• Trauma-informed, compassionate listening

• Accessible teachings on navigating spiritual fear, ancestral trauma, and cultural disconnection

• Hybrid offerings (in-person and virtual gatherings, ceremonies, and classes)

• Culturally resonant tools such as altar-building, herbalism, and protective practices

• Community learning and  healing circles.

• Support for biracial/multiracial identity integration in ancestral work

• The HART Method of fire cupping—a synthesis of Chinese fire cupping, Meso-american ventosas, European cupping, and Western anatomy & physiology—to move stagnation and invite ease.

• intuitive Touch

• Somatic Griefwork, Spiritual cleansings and Limpias

• Deepening the Circle: Spiritual Herbalism and Ancestor Work Courses
  4-8 week intensives (current focus: Nettles) that blend folklore, medicine-making, and ceremony so participants leave with skills and community.

• Community Cook & Beignet Saturdays
  Monthly gatherings and Meal Share Projects run by my household where food becomes ritual: sliding-scale meals, beignets fried in the yard, stories shared, and mutual aid funds seeded.

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I believe reculturalization and village building sit at the heart of true healing. When we revive shared customs, strengthen supportive networks, and place ourselves back in the caring hands of our ancestors, we don’t just feel better—we belong. That is the work of Folkway LLC, and I’m honored to walk it with you.