Araba Ofori-Acquah: Channeling the Ancestors and African Spiritual Wisdom

On Time of the Feminine’s Season 2 Finale, Lauren and Shaina look back on their journey with The Global Sisterhood and how it has changed their lives, as well as updates on their own personal journeys. What we discuss: 01:02 - Introduction 04:39 – The Global Sisterhood 26:13 – The Medicine of Endings 31:04 – Entering the Void and Rebirth 39:17 – Shaina’s Updates 41:52 – Lauren’s Updates 43:34 – Embracing Different Kinds of Death 50:52 – Ending Notes 53:00 – Lauren and Shaina in Behalf of the Divine Mother Our End of an Era Sale: The Global Sisterhood Legacy bundle now available on:https://www.globalsisterhood.org/legacy To follow us on Instagram, @theglobalsisterhood  @Laurenelizabethwalsh  @shainaconners    

In this podcast episode, Lauren and Shaina discuss how each of their lives has been transforming and what they are learning from the very nature of it. They discuss how challenge can be a great learning experience, and share several life experiences they each have had, and explored how much potential for growth their has been. They end the call with discussing the upcoming course hosted by the Global Sisterhood called The Spirit of Transformation. This a three week, guided spiritual container held by indigenous leaders and pioneers Hushahu Yawanawá and Kenewma Yawanawá. What we discuss: 01:02 – Introduction 04:13 – The Muck and Feeling Human 14:15 – Humming Your Heart, First Relationships, and Vulnerability 23:09 – Doing the Work and Sharing Pain 35:00 – Why Am I Broken? 42:30 – The Transformation Process 49:02 – Closing Notes You can learn more and sign up at: www.globalsisterhood.org/spirit-of-transformation    To learn more about Global Sisterhood, go to www.globalsisterhood.org To follow us on Instagram, @theglobalsisterhood @Laurenelizabethwalsh @shainaconners Music created and produced by Samanta Ra @curandheirahealing and @guttinho https://www.instagram.com/curandeirahealing/ https://www.instagram.com/meninogutto/  

Our dreams are a form of communication; to get our attention and for us to actively tend to them. Whether it’s a good dream or a bad one, our dreams want to tell us something we might not have listened to while we were awake. However, scary dreams tell us another thing. Maybe we haven’t tended to them in some way for lack of resources to understand, while also trying to escape the difficulty in our lives in various ways, whether that looks like imbibing social media, other addictions, and various forms of escapism. But once we tend to our dreams that tend to us, we end up responding differently to the world around us. What do our dreams tell us and what are the insights and wisdom from the images we see in our dreams? Toko-pa, whose name was chosen from her parents from a book of poems called “Technicians of the Sacred” by Jerome Rothenberg, is a Canadian author, teacher, and dreamworker. She is known for her work in exploring the realms of dreams, creativity, and the human psyche. Through her writings and teachings, Toko-pa delves into the significance of dreaming, the healing power of storytelling, and the importance of embracing one's authentic self. She has authored books such as "Belonging: Remembering Ourselves Home," and her website serves as a platform where she shares her insights, teachings, and workshops on these topics. What we discuss: 01:02 – Introducing Toko-pa 04:04 – Toko-pa’s Journey 07:03 – Dreams and Experiences 12:39 – The Different Realms When We Sleep 18:15 – Understanding Our Dreams For Our Souls 30:00 – Dream Analysis on People, Animals, and Objects Around Us 37:14 – Lauren’s Dream 43:24 – Toko-pa in Behalf of the Divine Mother / Opening Up The Veil   Learn more about Toko-pa through her: Website: http://toko-pa.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/tokopaturner Facebook: www.instagram.com/tokopa   To learn more about Global Sisterhood, go to www.globalsisterhood.org To follow us on Instagram, @theglobalsisterhood @Laurenelizabethwalsh @shainaconners

What does it mean to be a truly disciplined person? HeatherAsh’s journey started with her dedication to being focused and disciplined; a patriarchal mindset of being better and doing things right that perpetuated self-punishment. She eventually had to leave this life, rewire, and recognize that values such as softness and compassion could be at par with discipline. Her Warrior Goddess Training book was also born out of her journey of doing live circles, living in Asia, being influenced by Buddhism, and being influenced by don Miguel Ruiz Jr. Through her experiences of reconnecting with the Earth, the rhythms, and the goddess work, coupled with encountering don as her teacher and examining the inner workings of her stories, this all helped her understand the power of intent, focus, and discipline when these two aspects are combined. HeatherAsh Amara is the author of the bestselling Warrior Goddess series, host of the Warrior Goddess Revolution podcast, as well as master firewalker and activist. She is a land steward, philanthropist, and has spent almost 30 years dedicating her life and career to earth-based wisdom and mindfulness to ignite community change. She is working on her upcoming untitled book on dancing with contradictions.  What we discuss: 01:13 – Being a Disciplined Spiritual Devotee 04:34 – HeatherAsh’s Journey 09:33 – Inner Structures and Containers 10:41 – The Warrior Goddess 14:34 – Regrets and Rewriting Your Journey 19:35 – HeatherAsh’s Rebirthing 25:42 – The Next Chapter 27:04 – Embracing Suffering and Strengthening Light 37:21 – Stillness, Spaciousness, Silence 42:47 – Living Undefined and Regenerating 45:34 – Paradoxes, The Grand Design, and The One Truth 49:36 – The Space of Regeneration 52:36 – Closing Notes 53:41 – HeatherAsh in Behalf of the Divine Mother You can learn more from HeatherAsh on her websites: Website: www.warriorgoddess.comInstagram: www.instagram.com/warriorgoddessofficial/   To learn more about Global Sisterhood, go to www.globalsisterhood.org To follow us on Instagram, @theglobalsisterhood @Laurenelizabethwalsh @shainaconners

How much of the bible, the gospel, and Christianity do we truly understand, especially through feminine aspects and feminine perspectives? Is there really such thing as “sin”? Can we and should we love our oppressor? In this episode, Dr. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer unpacks and answers burning questions about the religion and its gospels. From telling the story of Mary Magdalene, and how it shifted to Martha and Mary to the true meaning of sin and compassion according to the gospel, she aims to help and heal by bringing awareness to the true meaning of Christianity and accepting and revering the feminine perspective.  Dr. Elizabeth Schrader Polczer is an American biblical scholar who concentrates on textual studies concerning Mary Magdalene, the Gospel of John, and the Nag Hammadi corpus. Before joining the academe, she was a singer/songwriter professionally known as Libbie Schrader and is currently an Assistant Professor of New Testament at Villanova University.  What we discuss: 02:17 – Dr. Schrader Polczer and The Oppressed Feminine 14:46 – From Mary to Martha 23:38 – Mary, Martha, and Mary Magdalene 25:15 – When Were the Gospels Written? 32:34 – “There is no such thing as sin” 35:24 – What Drives Dr. Schrader Polczer 40:01 – The True Meaning of Christianity  48:12 – Dealing With Critics 51:55 – Mary Magdalene Suppressed 52:59 – What If The World Revered the Feminine? 59:19 – What’s Next For Dr. Schrader Polczer 1:01:04 – Other Traditions, Cultures, and Religions 1:09:30 – Love for the Oppressor 1:11:53 – Laying Yourself Down and Having Compassion 1:17:35 – Dr. Schrader Polczer in Behalf of the Divine Mother To learn more from Elizabeth Schrader: Website: www.elizabethschrader.com, Twitter: https://twitter.com/libbieschrader   https://religionnews.com/2019/07/19/scribes-tried-to-blot-her-out-now-a-scholar-is-trying-to-recover-the-real-mary-magdalene/ https://www.ncronline.org/news/people/was-mary-magdalene-really-magdala-two-scholars-examine-evidence   To learn more about Global Sisterhood, go to www.globalsisterhood.org To follow us on Instagram, @theglobalsisterhood @Laurenelizabethwalsh @shainaconners

How do we transform the fear that lives deep within us? How do we heal the divide between peoples, nations, and cultures? In this episode, Lauren flies solo sharing intimate thoughts from her heart about the nature of fear, how to transform the mindsets of scarcity, and how we can solve seemly unsolvable problems, from the wisdom of the heart. What we discuss: 01:45 – Lauren’s Truths 08:00 – The Root of Our Destruction 15:06 – The Divine Guidance and Opening Your Heart 19:43 – Political Division, Hatred, and Oppression 29:59 – Challenging and Transforming the Fear 33:30 – Lauren’s Hope 34:14 – Love in the Spiritual Community and Not Having the Answers 35:45 – Lauren’s Commitment 37:08 – Prayer: Appeal to Increase Love 40:18 – Closing Notes   To learn more about Global Sisterhood, go to www.globalsisterhood.org   To follow us on Instagram, @theglobalsisterhood @Laurenelizabethwalsh @shainaconners

Jonah tells their journey of being born as a female, not liking the things they were supposed to have interest in and never feeling socially welcome spending time with girls. On a broader social scale, they just wanted to be comfortable as a kid. Their early childhood was couched in nature, going to the country and running around in gym shorts. This led them to a journey of advocating for girls and their freedom to do whatever they wanted without gender norms as well as their life’s work of being a modern trans mystic and artist devoted to Jonah is an interdisciplinary transgender artist who studies queer theory, trans-feminist theory, and psychoanalytic theory. They makes rosaries and is a modern trans mystic, visual artist, abstract comic, devotional poet, student of medicine, among many others. They are our first transgender guest and we couldn’t be more excited to have them on the podcast. What we discuss: 02:23 – Introducing Jonah 05:02 – Jonah’s Story 11:02 – Growing Up 17:55 – Treating Boy Bodies and Girl Bodies Differently 20:09 – Body Dysmorphia and Trauma 24:22 – The Process of Taking Hormones 27:27 – The Medicine and Energies 29:51 – Changing of the Body 33:29 – The Miracle of Jonah’s Name 36:30 – The Christian Tradition 41:57 – Divine Androgyny 47:25 – Spirits, Aliens, and the Extraterrestrial World 50:30 – Ignorance Towards the LGBTQIA+ Community 54:53 – Surgeries for Young Children 57:44 – Liberation and Magic in the Pain of Surgery 1:00:41 – Why Did the Creator Create Trans People? 1:04:21 – The Fun Stuff 1:06:53 – Jonah in Behalf of the Divine Mother 1:08:25 – Where to Find Jonah 1:09:42 – Bonus Content   You can find Jonah at his official website, Patreon, and on Instagram.   To learn more about Global Sisterhood, go to www.globalsisterhood.org   To follow us on Instagram, @theglobalsisterhood @Laurenelizabethwalsh @shainaconners

In today’s episode, Lauren and Shaina explore the shadow and light of wanting to “be special.” From where they are from in the United States, they both share they have felt the desire to be noticed, seen, and to be recognized for having a special gift. They explore where this comes from a cultural and religious perspective and dissect some of the gifts and shadows within this desire. They discuss what it means to be “special” and if that desire is even a good one. As we come into the Rise of the Feminine - will individuality and specialty support our world or will collective belonging offer a better outcome for us all? What we discuss: 01:15 – Wanting to Be Special in Spiritual Communities 02:45 – Wanting to Be Special: Where Did It Come From? 09:45 – Having Nuanced and Difficult Conversations 13:07 – Wanting to Feel Special 20:09 – Identifying Worth 30:10 – Sebastian the Spiritual Teacher and the Healing Bomb 33:46 – Facilitation Tips 34:29 – Closing Notes   To learn more about Global Sisterhood, go to www.globalsisterhood.org   To follow us on Instagram, @theglobalsisterhood @Laurenelizabethwalsh @shainaconners

What did Araba’s journey to reclamation look like? Her journey to reconnecting with her roots was intertwined with her mental health journey as she struggled with depression and anxiety during her early to mid-20s. However, she finally eventually found her way to therapy after years of resistance which, for communities of color, is not widely talked about, accepted, or seen as part of life. Her journey to healing had been attached to her identity which, going into therapy, would serve as the foundation for her book. From understanding her Ghanian heritage and eventually grieving the loss of her grandmother, this had led her to reconnect with her culture as well as beginning her spiritual journey to healing. Araba is a healer, cultural curator, DJ and award-winning writer interested in the preservation of African past and the reimagining of African future. She lives and teaches African-centred wellness, a practice rooted in African wisdom that promotes the wellbeing and empowerment of the global Black community. She is the author of the book “Return to Source: Unlock the Power of African-Centered Wellness” and you can buy her book on Amazon and everywhere they sell books.   What we discuss: 01:11 – Introducing Araba 03:19 – Writing “Return to Source: Unlock the Power of African-Centered Wellness” 07:32 – Araba’s Journey of Reclamation 15:21 – Women’s Mental Illness and Disconnection from the Soul 18:07 – Araba’s Journey Through India and Ghana 27:32 – There’s No Perfection in Spirituality 31:39 – White Lens in Spirituality and the Capitalistic System 33:53 – How Araba’s Book Came About 43:00 – White Culture and Losing the Art of Transmission 45:48 – Learning from Ancestors 47:50 – Araba’s Magic 49:02 – The Process of Channeling 56:07 – Reading a Passage from “Return to Source” 1:01:02 – Araba in Behalf of the Divine Mother 1:04:35 – Closing Notes To learn more about Araba: Website: http://arabaoa.com/ Instagram: http://instagram.com/araba.oa To learn more about Global Sisterhood, go to www.globalsisterhood.org Sign up for Moon School a 29-day meditation journey beginning on the New Moon on June 17: https://www.globalsisterhood.org/moon-school   To follow us on Instagram, @theglobalsisterhood @Laurenelizabethwalsh @shainaconners

Indigenous people live in direct connection with nature, gifting them powerful spiritual practices, and magic if you will!, that have empowered their communities, way of life, and ultimately, their identity. Today’s guest is Angelique Txivã, who has been living with the Yawanawa tribe for the past 10 years and now shares the tribe’s mission of bringing the magic and teachings of the forest into the hearts of humanity. In this episode, we discuss her first-hand experience of profound spiritual awakening and healing, living among the Yawanawa. We talk about dietas, healing ceremonies, nature’s medicine, Ayuhuasca, what it means to be healed and how creating a deep bond with the forest can truly change one’s life. What we discuss: 01:01 – Moon School: 29-Day Lunar Makeover 03:10 – Introducing Angelique 05:42 – Angelique and Lauren’s Time Together in the Amazon 09:56 – Who Was Angelique? 15:19 – Receiving Healing 17:50 – Angelique’s Desire to Learn for the Past 10 Years 21:00 – Angelique’s Mission and Self-Healing 23:50 – The Mission of the Spirit of the Forest 25:13 – Cultural History and Resurgence of the Yawanawa 29:42 – The Sacred Knowledge, Studies, and Medicine 38:05 – Songs and Prayers 41:19 – Ayahuasca and Uni 44:38 – Ancient Traditions 51:55 – Closing Notes   If you wish to learn more from the Yawanawa visit their website on www.spiritoftheforest.co. Beginning on June 12, Join “An Encounter with the Spiritual Force” a 1-month virtual indigenous-led diet, a deep dive to encounter the healing force of the forest through Yawanawá spirituality & ancestrality. More information on www.spiritoftheforest.co   Websites Teachings of the Yawanawa:  www.spiritoftheforest.co Txiva’s / Angelique’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_txiva_/F   To learn more about Global Sisterhood, go to www.globalsisterhood.orgSign up for Moon School a 29-day meditation journey beginning on the New Moon on June 17: https://www.globalsisterhood.org/moon-school   To follow us on Instagram, @theglobalsisterhood  @Laurenelizabethwalsh  @shainaconners