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Over the weekend I was in community for the 9th Annual Spiritual Herbalism conference, MAS — Power & Mystery of the Divine Feminine, in Brooklyn, New York.

There was so much brilliance in this space.

Much gratitude to Empress Karen M. Rose @empresskarenmrose and the wonderful people for gathering us for this powerful conference.

To Fiona Compton of @knowyourcaribbean for reminding me that MAS is feminine power, to unmask, to move, to accuse, to name, and to be lifted by spirit.

To Baba @cihealingarts for insighting his wisdom upon us, the blessings and libations.

I cried. I laughed. I grieved. I celebrated. I gained wisdom.

I’m honoured. I’m humbled. I’m grateful.

My heart is full.

✨💜✨

#SacredVibesMAS2026
#MAS2026

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In keeping with the theme of the “Power and Mystery of the Divine Feminine,” we birthed something sacred and beautiful this past weekend at the Spiritual Herbalism Conference.

Mas for me has always been a way to unmask. To honor what brings me joy. To move energy that needs to be released. To prioritize caring for my body. To receive messages from my ancestors and guides.

Unmasking has allowed me to see and love myself fully and remember who I am first and foremost, before being truly seen and recognized by others. Shoutout to @ehimeora for the Ancestors Said: Be Seen course which helped prepare me for this moment.

My immense gratitude to the Creator, my ancestors, mama earth and especially the waters… My deep gratitude:
- to my mentor, @empresskarenmrose, for your love, and for sharing and trusting us to bring this powerful vision to life,
- to Baba @cihealingarts for your gentle and thoughtful care, blessings, and guidance throughout conference weekend,
- to Lauren and Kamil for phenomenal leadership and support over these past few months,
- to all the teachers and speakers, volunteers, and sponsors for sharing your time, energy, resources and brilliance,
- to Fiona @knowyourcaribbean, for equipping us with ancestral wisdoms and guidance to love and trust our voices and power.
- to my dears @omisadeburneyscott and @thealexjane, for the loving invitation to meet and connect with ourselves - body, mind, spirit - in all the different stages. Y’all offered us such beautiful medicine that I didn’t know I needed.
- And of course, to my beloved level 3 cohort, WE did it. And did so gracefully and beautifully. I am SO freakin proud of us.

Conference weekend was an initiation into the new and into this next stage of the journey on earth. I am full.

ayeee and shoutout to @jambalaseegrenada for bringing my jab hat all the way from the Spice Isle.

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We are halfway through our first Our Ancestors’ Garden Caregiver Cohort and have been so moved by the conversations, and community that has been fostered biweekly in our Sunday sessions.

Our Ancestors’ Garden is a free family wellness program for caregivers who want to raise their children, ages 3–12, with confidence, resilience, and joy, rooted in earth-honoring values, Black spirituality, and Afro-Indigenous traditions.

If you weren’t able to join us for the first cohort, consider joining us for our spring cohort! Applications are now open. Learn more and apply at the link in our bio.

#HealingJustice #RootCauseCollective #LiberationWork #DecolonizingWellness

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@question.culture summer - LA, NY/NJ, STL, PR ❤️

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We are just over a month out from election day on Tuesday, November 3, but early voting has already begun in many states.

Although the president isn’t on the ballot this year, so many causes that affect our day-to-day life are.

At @ficpfmovement's regional gathering in Chicago, AW Shields was moved by the Vote in Her Honor Campaign, an invitation from @il_arj to vote in the honor of the 1,446 women in the Illinois Department of Corrections who are unable to vote in the upcoming elections due to disenfranchisement as a result of their incarceration.

Consider voting in Her Honor this election season and lift up the name of one of these women who cannot cast their own ballot by visiting ILARJ.org/pledge. ✨

You do not have to live in Illinois to participate. You vote. She counts. Take the pledge. 💚

#VoteInHerHonor #Abolition #Wellness #ElectionSeason

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Last month, we gathered in Oakland with participants in @dream.corps Oakland Area Green Reentry program, which connects justice-impacted people to green career training and job opportunities.

Over the program’s eight weeks, Root Cause founder AW Shields and trauma recovery coach, Kia Davis, led virtual wellness workshops and group coaching sessions, where participants dug into emotional boundaries, impostor syndrome, and balancing reentry, work, family, and personal wellbeing.

To close it out, the group came together in person for an identity-based ritual honoring each participant’s journey through the program. They reflected on the gifts they bring to every community they’re part of, and how to care for their own wellbeing in the midst serving others.

Mental health tools should feel practical, accessible, and connected to people’s real lives. This is especially true for folks stepping into new roles, environments, and chapters. Sharing this space with participants as they closed one chapter and opened another was an honor.

Shoutout to the entire Dream.org team for the intentionality they brought to every detail, from program content to the folks in the room. We can’t wait to work together again. ✨

#HealingJustice #RootCauseCollective #LiberationWork #DecolonizingWellness

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Our team touched down in San Juan, Puerto Rico for @galaxy_gives’ Leader Fellowship Gathering and left with our spirits full. ✨

While there, AW Shields moderated “The Conversations We Avoid: Child Sexual Abuse, Community Safety, and New Possibilities for Change.” This was a courageous conversation about accountability, healing, and prevention without relying on punishment or prisons, because holding someone accountable and recognizing their humanity isn’t mutually exclusive.

José Humphreys and Chalice Overy also hosted the first in a series of Galaxy Fellows wellness sessions, “Lead Free: Nurturing Our Light Through Personal Transformation for Collective Liberation.” This session invited fellows into reflection, ancestral connection, and what it means to care for ourselves while leading with purpose.
Meeting in Puerto Rico, the site of Galaxy’s inaugural fellowship convening, and the oldest active colony in the world, added weight and power to it all. The island’s culture and resistance were the backdrop for real connection and healing.

This is the kind of work we love doing – facilitation, wellness design, and space-holding rooted in liberation. If your organization is building something similar, visit the link in our bio and let’s chat.

#HealingJustice #RootCauseCollective #LiberationWork #DecolonizingWellness

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We can’t wait for @awshields to preach in a pink bikini 👙learn more in this clip and watch the full episode in Substack and Spotify!

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@awshields “abolitionists just create what doesn’t exist.” Checkout episode 2 for more from @joshmillerventures’ conversation with AW ✨

#adornedpod #adornedinimagination #abolitionist #adornment #podcastclip

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We love to learn about people’s adornments and why they felt called to wear them, including how @awshields learned about pieces by @mother.sierra

Watch the full episode via link in bio!

Host @joshmillerventures is wearing a piece by @silvianegra_artesanato from Salvador Brazil

#adornedpod #adornment #podcastclip #jewelry #adornedinimagination

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During our most recent episode of Adorned in Imagination, @awshields talks about the cotton earrings she got from @canyouteachmeaboutcotton and how adornments can challenge, change and empower us

Full episode in Substack and Spotify - 🔗 in bio ✨

#adornedpod #adornedinimagination #cotton #podcastclips #interview

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@awshields reflects on how hearing @comptonauthor speak about her adornments helped shape her own adornment ritual during S2 episode 2 of #adornedpod

#adornedinimagination #adornment #podcastclips

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