When Spirit Tests You, It’s Because You’re Growing Several months ago, I wrote a blog post about the late African shaman Malidoma Somé. His work has stayed with me because it reminds us of something we often forget on the spiritual path: 👉 We will be tested. And yet, when those tests show up, we’re surprised. We wonder what we did wrong, or whether we’ve lost our way. But being tested isn’t a mistake—it’s part of the process. It’s how growth happens. In Of Water and the Spirit, Malidoma shows us that initiation, challenge, and discomfort aren’t obstacles to spirituality—they are the path. Tests reveal what we’ve truly integrated, not just what we believe or talk about. Often, when Spirit is preparing us for something bigger, life asks more of us: - More patience - More integrity - More trust - More courage - So, I want to open this up for reflection and conversation: Where do you feel life or Spirit is testing you right now? And how might that test be shaping you—strengthening you, refining you, or bringing you into deeper alignment? There’s no right or wrong answer here. Feel free to share. Sometimes naming the test helps us see the growth already happening. 🌱

When I asked Maya King, a member of the King’s Circle, what inspired her to write her book, she shared a moment from her time in Ghana. Spirit spoke through someone and told her it was time to live in pursuit of her passion. She still had to discover what that passion was. With Jamaican roots and a deep connection to the African diaspora, Ghana helped bring clarity. She realized her passion is literature and children. “I’ve always loved children,” she said. “I’ve loved them since I was a child.” The book came while she was "alchemizing pain into power." She felt called to share her healing journey. She wants others to know healing is possible. Writing this book also marks her step toward wealth and abundance. Maya hopes to do more traveling and public speaking in the future. I’m grateful she’s in the King’s Circle. This community supports creatives as they build and launch their work. No one has to navigate this journey alone. We look forward to learning more about her book and publishing journey.

I’m excited to welcome Yolanda Ramos to the community! We recently connected through a mutual friend, astrologer Christopher Brown, and quickly realized we share so much in common. Yolanda and I are actually relatives—cousins—despite never having met in person. Based on DNA results she’s seen through Ancestry.com, we share lineage and deep ancestral ties. 💫 She was born on St. Croix, which is also where I’m from, and she has roots in Montserrat—just like I do. On top of that, Yolanda has a strong interest in plant medicine, making our connection feel even more aligned. 🌱 We’re hoping to visit the Caribbean together sometime next year to honor and reconnect with our shared roots. Please join me in welcoming my cousin, Yolanda, to the community! 🤍🌴

Please join me in welcoming my friend Nicole to the Circle. We first met several years ago in Oahu, Hawaiʻi, and over the years I’ve witnessed her steady, sincere commitment to her spiritual path. Nicole is not a spiritual tourist — she is a dedicated student. She studies Ifa and Haitian Vodun. Nicole asks thoughtful, often challenging questions about the current state of spirituality and is always seeking genuine growth. We’re grateful to have you here, Nicole. I believe the Circle will be a meaningful vehicle for your continued expansion, and we look forward to learning alongside you as we grow together.

Today we open the first King’s Circle session of 2026 with Akua Naru—uncompromising visionary, Pan-Africanist, and hip-hop legend. Akua is also a co-host of The King's Circle. See the Zoom link below. She’ll reflect on Longing to Tell, her blues opera that breaks silence around race, gender, and sexuality, and reclaims the inner lives and truths of Black women. Akua set Europe on fire with sold out shows in Germany and Austria. Akua is about to set the USA on fire too!! We’ll also speak on our documentary Becoming Light Again, to be filmed in Benin—a homecoming to sacred lands, Vodun, and ourselves. Becoming Light Again is also a meditation on mortality. Our film asks the question: how would you live differently in 2026 if this were your last sacred journey? What do you need to do in your life to Become Light Again? 🕞 3:30 PM EST today🎥 Recorded for those who cannot join live Looking forward to sharing this moment with you. Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83305786598?pwd=0lWGedxXDYnxt3G3w8aWRxaZGWVEnt.1 Meeting ID: 833 0578 6598 Passcode: 761498