Trust the wisdom of your ancestors. A door that seems shut might actually be a blessing. A road that seems blocked might actually be protection. Not every delay is a denial — sometimes it’s divine direction. What’s meant for you cannot be taken from you. You cannot miss the blessings that God and your ancestors have for you Reflection Questions What situation in your life once felt like a setback, but later revealed itself as protection or redirection? How might trusting God and the wisdom of your ancestors change the way you respond to closed doors or unexpected delays?

Your relationship with your ancestors is a partnership. Take a step back sometimes and allow yourself to be guided and supported. You’re not meant to carry everything on your own. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you have to do it all by yourself. Your ancestors are walking with you. Reflection Questions What might change if you trusted that you are supported on your path? Where in your life are you trying to do everything alone?

Two years ago, I was back home in St. Croix, Virgin Islands. The beaches. The food. The ocean stretching out in every direction. And the quiet feeling that your ancestors are still speaking… if you’re willing to listen. This is an aerial photo of my island, and I'm sharing a photo of sea turtles that come to visit us. One afternoon on the beach, my friend Yomi and I had a long conversation about life — trusting your soul, following inspiration, and the power of love. At one point she said something that stopped me: “Trust is where we need the most healing.” That stayed with me. Because so many people struggle to trust themselves. We trust opinions, expectations, and outside voices…but hesitate to trust the quiet voice inside us. But if you can’t trust your own soul, what’s the point? That trip helped me get clearer about the life I want to live and what I want to give to the world. And even now, two years later, I’m still carrying those lessons with me. Two questions I’ve been reflecting on: When was the last time you truly trusted your own inner voice? What might change in your life if you trusted it more?

Heavens Oh…Many times I have heard souls express “I don’t do funerals”…for me as an ancestral priestess in the making and a daughter of Olokun: “Funerals” energize me!!! Yesterday, Monica’s service was such a tribute to a beautiful and radiant life so well lived. Listening to the testimony of her children, seeing their tears, sensing and feeling that familiar void I too experienced with my own mother on Jan 13, 2022 and then witnessing them command us all to stand up and dance at the feet of Monica’s altar and the drummers. Up until yesterday I had never experienced a service that felt so incredibly light, ancestrally empowered, purposeful and similar to what I would want for my children to experience when the time comes again for them to sit in that front row. Hearing Monica’s own children talk about all the beautiful things that she embodied, all that she taught them, and how blessed they felt to have the most amazing mother ever deeply moved me. I could not help but to think about my own children and what they would have to endure when the time came for them to do the same; the ultimate price we pay for love. You see like me; Monica had a profound love for her ancestors and for our collective ancestors. She had become a major champion, ambassador and caretaker for the African Burial Grounds in Richmond, VA. As one can imagine, her three children were raised with a strong foundation of cultural identity and a deep spiritual awareness of who they are as souls embodied in human form. This was tremendously evident in how sacred, intentional and how infused with light their mother’s memorial service was designed to look and feel. Monica’s minister, Dr. Neal N. Jackson of the United African Nation House of Worship, reminded us during the eulogy that in life our two most significant rites are our first (birth) and last rites (transition) and that there is no such thing as death because life is eternal. Years ago, after hearing sooo much about my dear sister friend Sakhet’s beloved lifelong sister friend Monica, I was formally introduced to her in person during a sacred remembrance event she hosted at the African Burial Grounds. As a woman born under the sun sign of Aries, Monica like me is a visionary, community activist, a protector of children, an entrepreneur, avid world traveler, served humanity and lived courageously.

What do you think your purpose is? Has it changed over the years, or has it stayed the same? Do you feel clear and confident about what you’re called to do, or are you still figuring it out? Curious to hear your thoughts. This photo of me was taken at the wedding ceremony of Liana Nanang and Ajala Omodele in Bermuda several years. I wrote about this experience in the second edition of my book, and how deeply I felt connected to my purpose while performing this ceremony. When have you felt the most connected to your purpose?