the journey
My beloved matriarchs have made their loving and protective presence known in my life: my mama who is still with me on this physical plane, a praying mother, The Crab, her protective shell intact. I am the next matriarch in the family. The one who bows her head to give thanks to the water and […]
high priestess
On embodiment + being. To be one thing and then to become another. The more I lean into my authentic selfmy essence that is namelessformlesseternalthe more I lean into it, into my own expansion + iterations of selfI am at peace with being seen. You see me in these little squares You see me […]
libations
Teardrops on my face, it’s like teardrops become waterfalls by the time they reach my laces My eyelids is like levees but my tear ducts is like glaciers As I contemplate creation, the salt that heals my wounds pour out my eyes just like libations Powerful words by Jay Electronica. The water wants to show […]
divine knowledge
In 2002 I was playing mad scientist — making herbal salves, infusions, diy shampoos, tinctures, goat milk baby formula and lavender butt wipes in my kitchen. All with four wild little boys under the age of 5 at my Birkenstock-wearing feet.But I soon became discouraged because I was young and easily distracted, life got tough, […]
innerspace
As I was feeling my way thru life post-pandemic in 2021, I began dreaming + preparing for my first solo art show in my own hood. Fritz Aragon, the owner of Urge Palette Art Supply in downtown Riverside, got used to the sight of me coming in to the shop and printing giclées of my […]
warriors in the chamomile
I was sitting in the kitchen drinking a cup of tea when a sad memory came bubbling to the surface. It was after a day of caring for my granddaughter who was trying me in all the ways her little toddler self can. I remember the distinct feeling of being a burden to my […]
transmission
Winter brought an asthma flare-up and with it, anxiety. Obviously, not being able to breathe freely is anxiety-inducing (especially in a pandemic) and I’ve been healing with all the natural things. Eucalyptus, mullein, ginger, garlic + onions, hot tea, steamy showers and plenty of resting. But shadow work calls for me to examine the root of […]
grounding
I finally realized that always being described as easy-goingflexible full of “patience” andoh, she just goes with the flowwas simply a trauma response from childhood. It bled into all of my relationships. Releasing shame, forgiving myself, being gentle with all parts of self, loving myself enough to create boundaries, honoring my sacred intuition, resting to […]
the act of remembering
I’ve been remembering.Remembering when I was fully happy, fully myself, fully held. I used to play in the backyard of our little house in San Diego. The trees and grass swaying around me, the birds singing their songs, the sun warm on my braids, my dolls nearby, my flat brown feet in the dirt, my […]
wise woman
Men and their patriarchal systems (capitalism, church, government) did what they could to destroy the indigenous Wise Woman of the New World. The ones who healed with herbs, flowers and roots. The mothers, the birthworkers, the midwives, the medicine women — curanderas— and the ones who celebrated the cyclical ways. For so many of us, […]