How My Trip To New Orleans Awakened A New Spiritual Path
New Orleans is popular for many things — Mardi Gras, Cajun-style cooking, and jazz music to name a few. But when my friends and I took a trip to NOLA during Halloween, I was surprised to find myself more connected to my spirituality than ever before. 10/10 would recommend visiting New Orleans, at any time of year. It was my first time ever visiting the famous city, and I was eager to eat great food and experience the Blackness of the city.
I had been living in Denver, Colorado for the past two years, and after going to an HBCU you could say it was sort of a culture shock. The lack of Black culture, people, and representation made me really appreciate the places where we can take up space and celebrate ourselves.
I felt like I'd lost parts of myself over the past half-decade. I lost myself to failed relationships, to school, to motherhood, and to other people's expectations of me. I felt very disconnected from myself, and what I should be doing in life.
What was my divine purpose? I had recently lost my job--one that I was very good at and very proud of. Being fired from my steady 9-5 and choosing to focus on my PR company was scary. I felt anxious and doubted that I could survive off freelance and contract work. For the first time in a long time, I had no idea who I was, what I wanted, or where I needed to go.
I grew up in a very Christian household, with momma forcing me to church every Sunday. I had a "say your prayers and God will take care of the rest" type of upbringing. From a very young age, I realized that wasn't going to work for me. I didn't grasp the concept of blind faith too well, and whenever I asked questions about the Bible or probed on the contradictions within the text, I would be scolded by my elders. It was apparent to me that asking questions that challenged the Bible was not acceptable.
After having my son, I was pulled toward researching different religions and spiritual practices that are practiced throughout the diaspora. In my readings on voodoo, santeria, and obeah I realized how connected I am to these spiritual practices and the ritualistic habits that even my own mother practiced. I officially gave up on Christianity in 2017 and started identifying as spiritual (just as many other young Black people).
I refused to revert back to believing in a religion that had never served me, and in my eyes had not served my community much either.
While in New Orleans, I knew I had to visit the botanicas and voodoo shops that the city is popular for. I knew I wanted to experience some Black-ass culture and NOLA is known for just that. What I was not expecting was to feel energetically and spiritually charged after my trip. It felt like the city was alive. I walked down to the French Quarter and into Jackson Square, which is a crowded area, depending on the day. I looked up to find a massive white cathedral across from the park, which immediately made me think of the slaves and post-slavery culture that heavily influenced the city—especially the spiritual connection to African spiritual practices such as voodoo.
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I visited the Reverend Zombie's House of Voodoo in the French Quarter to look for supplies such as herbal blends and books on magick. I was immersed in a very authentic experience that didn't feel like a tourist stop despite the popularity of the place. Unlike other voodoo and occult shops I visited on my trip, this shop educated visitors on proper etiquette when dealing with alters, herbs, and offerings. You're allowed to leave offerings to your ancestors or the saints on various alters within the shop. By leaving dollar bills, coins, or treats for your Orishas and ancestors, you're showing gratitude and feeding them for protecting and guiding you. You're not allowed to take photos of the alters as it is said to steal the magic(k) and scare away the Orishas, or spirits.
I later stopped by Botanica Macumba, a small spiritual supply shop for practitioners of various Afro-Caribbean spiritual practices. They offer spiritual services and doubles as a café and event space. When I walked into Botanica Macumba, I immediately realized that their alters were not like the ones at Reverend Zombies, there were barely any offerings and the shop tenders said I could take photographs which suggested the altars were merely for show. I saw a shrine to the saint Erzulie Freda, a spirit (or loa) to who I have felt very spiritually connected since the start of my journey. She rules over material success and abundance, and I felt like it was a sign from my ancestors that I was on the right path with love and would be abundant.
My spiritual journey led me here to a place that would remind me of the spirits that have guided me and protected me my whole life.
Photo by Giphy
It's almost a priority to visit the famous priestess Miriam Chamani at the Voodoo Spiritual Temple in New Orleans. The spiritual temple was loosely depicted in the movie, The Skeleton Key, and the priestess had been given plaques from the mayor of New Orleans. I went to the temple on Halloween night, not intending to get a reading, but after speaking to the priestess for 20 minutes it was as if she had given me one. She spoke in lucid-like conversation, almost as if she was in and out of this realm or relaying messages that were coming from multiple mediums. She questioned me and was intrigued by where I was from and what I was searching for though I never said I was from out of town or that I was searching to connect deeper to myself.
My trip to New Orleans allowed me to connect deeper to Afro-Caribbean spirituality and find my way back to my divine path.
I felt like everything I wanted for my life was in question. The priestess told me to focus on the messages from my guides and decide where I wanted to go, what I actually want to do with my life, and who I wanted to be. I left in a haze, feeling a bit overwhelmed by the conversation with the priestess — mostly because it was hard to follow along with everything she was saying as she went in and out of her slight delirium. Although it was a challenge to follow along with her, what she said really resonated with me and the entire experience was very eerie.
Photo by Giphy
The trip had been filled with signs that despite feeling lost before landing in NOLA, I was on the right track spiritually. I was reminded to trust myself and to manifest the life I wanted without limits. My guides and the orishas have provided me with constant messages that they were there with me along my journey, protecting me. My trip helped me to stop doubting myself and my intuition, and I felt more in touch with myself and the purpose I should be focused on in life. Voodoo and other Afro-Caribbean spiritual practices have a reputation of providing strength and prosperity to the African descendants of the diaspora, and New Orleans was a great reminder of that. It allowed me to see how powerful our African traditions and spiritual practices truly are. It reaffirmed my own power and faith in myself.
xoNecole is always looking for new voices and empowering stories to add to our platform. If you have an interesting story or personal essay that you'd love to share, we'd love to hear from you. Contact us at submissions@xonecole.com.
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ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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You've Never Seen Luke James In A Role Quite Like This
Over the years, we've watched Luke James play countless characters we'd deem sex symbols, movie stars, and even his complicated character in Lena Waithe's The Chi. For the first time in his career, the New Orleans-born actor has taken on a role where his signature good looks take a backseat as he transforms into Edmund in Them: The Scare—a mentally deranged character in the second installment of the horror anthology series that you won't be able to take your eyes off.
Trust us, Edmund will literally make you do a double take.
xoNecole sat down with Luke James to talk about his latest series and all the complexity surrounding it—from the challenges taking on this out-of-the-box role to the show's depiction of the perplexing history of the relationship between Black Americans and police. When describing the opportunity to bring Edmund's character to life, Luke was overjoyed to show the audience yet another level of his masterful acting talents.
"It was like bathing in the sun," he said. "I was like, thank you! Another opportunity for me to be great—for me to expand my territory. I'm just elated to be a part of it and to see myself in a different light, something I didn't think I could do." He continued, "There are parts of you that says, 'Go for it because this is what you do.' But then also that's why it's a challenge because you're like, 'um, I don't know if I'm as free as I need to be to be able to do this.' Little Marvin just created such a safe space for me to be able to do this, and I'm grateful for everything I've been able to do to lead to this."
Courtesy
Them: The Scare, like the first season, shines a light on the plight of Black Americans in the United States. This time, the story is taking place in the 1990s, at the height of the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles. While the series presents many underlying themes, one that stands out is Black people and the complicated relationship with the police. "For the audience, I think it sets the tone for the era that we're in and the amount of chaos that's in the air in Los Angeles and around the country from this heinous incident. And I say it just sets the tone of the anxiety and anxiousness that everybody is feeling in their own households."
James has been a longtime advocate against police brutality himself. He has even featured Elijah McClain, the 23-year-old Colorado man who died after being forcibly detained by officers, as his Instagram avatar for the past five years. So, as you can imagine, this script was close to his heart. "Elijah was a soft-loving oddball. Different than anyone but loving and a musical genius. He was just open and wanted to be loved and seen."
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Luke continued, "His life was taken from him. I resonate with his spirit and his words...through all the struggle and the pain he still found it in him to say, 'I love you and I forgive you.' And that's who we are as people—to our own detriment sometimes. He's someone I don't want people to forget. I have yet to remove his face from my world because I have yet to let go of his voice, let go of that being [because] there's so many people we have lost in our history that so often get forgotten."
He concluded, "I think that's the importance of such artwork that moves us to think and talk about it. Yes, it's entertaining. We get to come together and be spooked together. But then we come together and we think, 'Damn, Edmund needed someone to talk to. Edmund needed help... a lot [of] things could have been different. Edmund could have been saved.'
Check out the full interview below.
Luke James Talks Ditching Sex Symbol Status For "Them: The Scare", Elijah McClain, & Morewww.youtube.com
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