Reflections: Sovereignty Through Shadow and Ancestor Reverence

Greetings beloveds,

I must say that April was an active month full of change and growth. I spent most of my time meeting, befriending, and integrating my shadow. I am still learning so many aspects of myself but it gets easier every day. I learn more everyday and I am cannot wait to see what comes from this.

Here are some of the highlights of what I found.

I am a super sensual sexual being who represses those desires with food and chocolate specifically.

I am a channel for the Goddess of Death and Rebirth. It is within that void of the 8th gate that we are able to rest and be whole before returning to life.

I am a sorceress might and wild.

I am an oracle who guides and watches over the energy of world.

I pursue relationships with unavailable partners so that I have a socially acceptable reason to be independent, selfish, and sovereign.

I’ve been on a path of sovereignty for quite some time, not realizing that that was what I desired. I’ve come to find that as a black woman there is so much tied up to relationship status, success, tropes, archetypes, work, home…everything. Finding my role as a guide through change, death, rest, and rebirth feels overwhelming at times. When so much is always focused on the light it can be daunting to bring up the dark. It’s there though and never fades. So just as I am here and cannot be forgotten or ignored neither can the shadow. The shadow I have found serves as a gateway to become whole unto myself. To accept all that resides within me both from that which I’ve inherited and which I will leave in this space when I leave.

What we have inherited as children from some lineage, family’s, races, nations, continents, planet, cosmos, and spirits when explored reveal drives and events that effect us on many levels. In May we will discuss and explore all things related to how our ancestors affect our being both spiritually and practically today. We will start with how to connect with our ancestors through ritual and meditation. Then we will discuss lineage in relation to emotional inheritance and how we can create a lineage of love to leave to those who come after us. Next, there’s nothing as significant to our connection to family or culture than how food figures into our traditions and celebrations. Here I’ll share a family recipe with you all while I review the connection between food and family. Finally, we will look at how our ancestors can be honored in our home through altars and ritual. It is wise to know where you come from so you can know where you would like to go but it is a delicate balance that must be achieved so that you do not end up repeating family patterns which do not serve you. May will bring us a time of recognition of our past in order to design our future. A chance to break bonds and create our own paths. May will be a time to acknowledge where we have come from so that we are able to build our own kingdoms and become sovereign unto ourselves.

With love,

-Rose