On The Road Again
We'll be launching a fundraising campaign for my film, Across The King's River, on Thursday, October 31st. And we'll be counting on your support... A successful campaign will allow us to move forward with this film project that began almost six years ago. A film is a marathon - it's not a spring. That's what one of my filmmaking mentors told me...
The Wisdom Of Your Little Ones
My granddaughter says my nose is big... And my grandson says my feet are ugly... My little ones make me laugh! They crack me up because they're just being sincere. They're not trying to hurt my feelings in any way. (At least I hope not). LOL They're just keeping it real! My nose IS big. What can I say, it runs in the family. And my feet? Let's...
No Magic Bullet
One Yoruba proverb says it all... "Patience is the father of character." Yet of all spiritual challenges patience ranks high as one of the toughest to master. What do you say? Does it feel like the universe is working your very last nerves? Have you been feeling this way for years? Well, welcome to the club... For me, the frustration has been...
Five Minutes With Mom
Mom is visiting me from St. Croix, Virgin Islands... And the other day she said something that really moved me. She said she was happy to be at home with me. She said being with me for even five minutes means so much to her. Her words touched me because we have most things backward in this crazy world that we live in... We've been conditioned to...
A Shower Of Blessings
"A blessing is the state of the soul," says African shaman, Malidoma Some, in this You Tube speech. "People tend to see blessings as meaning prosperity. You have to disconnect these two things. Blessing does not necessarily mean prosperity. Blessing is a state of the soul. A place in which the person's psyche sits in comfort," Malidoma explains....
Gold In The Garbage
I was a guest on Africa Today recently... It's a popular radio show hosted by Walter Turner on KPFA, and you can listen to it by clicking here. It was an honor to be on Walter's show again. He's a spiritual, intellectual and cultural beacon as well as a community activist too! I was struck by something he said before the show began... I overheard...
Visit From The Old Man
The old man came for a visit a few nights ago... He came in my dreams, the way ancestors often do, because that's when we're most receptive. Baba Epega didn't stay long. I guess he had other things to do in the Other World. After all, an Awo's (diviner's) work is never done - not even on the Other Side. Baba Epega was a world authority on Ifa; he...
Reflecting on Robin
Like the rest of the world I was shocked by the tragic passing of Robin Williams... In a culture that worships fame, money and success, it's easy to lose sight of two facts: money doesn't buy happiness and never will; money doesn't always buy mental health. "Williams' death is a wake-up call - depression is no laughing matter," says Eve Meyer,...
Following Love
I recently brought two souls together in a wedding ceremony on the beach. It was a new beginning for them, but it was also a new beginning for me because it was my very first wedding ceremony as an Ifa priest. They felt honored and I felt honored! As I spoke to friends and family of the couple gathered in a semi-circle in the sand, the...
Finding Your Sacred Story
I've been talking to my friend, Keisha, a lot lately! We're working on ideas for my upcoming film, Across The King's River. Keisha is a poet, writer and story consultant. We're trying to nail down what's driving the main characters in my film and why. See, when you're working on a documentary film, you just don't take off somewhere and start...