Iya Omitosin: On Ancestors, Healing & the Power of Our Voice

They Are Near. They Are Listening.

Iya Omitosin is a powerhouse of wisdom — a true light in our community.

I’m proud of her growth as a healer, an Iyanifa, and a businesswoman. She has deeply blessed my life — and the lives of so many others.

She is one of the many powerful voices I quoted in my book, Meditations Across the King’s River, published in 2024. Her insight is timeless, and her courage is contagious.

A Voice of Healing, Truth, and Ancestral Power

Lately, I’ve been revisiting a Facebook Live conversation we had about two years ago. So many gems surfaced — teachings that are both spiritual and deeply grounded in real life.

In the video, Iya speaks about our connection to the ancestors, reminding us:

Spirit communication doesn’t have to be complicated.

To connect with your ancestors, she offers this sacred guidance:

✨ Set a clear intention
✨ Create sacred space for them to come
✨ Trust the messages

She also shared something deeply personal — how years of people-pleasing manifested in her body as fibroids. And how healing began when she chose to speak up.

Healing Begins When We Speak the Truth

We need to speak up.

We are living in times when right-wing forces are trying to silence our voices and erase our stories. We cannot let them. This is not the time to shrink.

This is the time to remember who we are — and to call on those who walk with us but are unseen.

Our ancestors are near.
They are listening.
They are speaking.

They want to help us rise, not just for ourselves — but for the generations to come.

Watch the Conversation

Here’s a short video with Iya Omitosin. I encourage you to watch, listen, and reflect.

Are You Listening to the Call of Your Ancestors?

Take a moment to reflect:

— What stories are you being called to share?
— Where in your life are you still silencing your truth?
— How might your ancestors be guiding you right now?


Let’s Rise — Together

I’m looking forward to hearing from you — your reflections, your stories, your voice.

With love and in power,
James


P.S. If you still don’t have the 2nd edition of Meditations Across the King’s River, you can order a signed copy directly from me. Just send me a direct message, and don’t forget to join our mailing list: https://tinyurl.com/22n44j72
P.P.S. I’m still available for spiritual readings. If you feel called, reach out.

Honoring Mami Wata: Remembering is Resistance

🌊 A Sacred Image from Benin
Not long ago, my friend Chechi sent me this gorgeous photo.

Chechi is one of the filmmakers working with me on my documentary film project, Across the King’s River.

She’s also a gifted photographer.

This photo was taken in Benin during the Vodun Festival in January. These women are honoring Mami Wata — a powerful deity of water, transformation, and abundance. She is revered in several African traditions and throughout the diaspora.

Women honoring Mami Wata at the Vodun Festival in Benin
🔮 Honoring Mami Wata and African Spiritual Power
Like many African spiritual traditions, Vodun has been demonized.

But despite centuries of misinformation and distortion, Vodun remains a powerful spiritual system — a source of wisdom, healing, and liberation.

Our sacred traditions teach us:

To honor our ancestors

To walk in balance

To trust in the wisdom of nature

🛡️ Our Stories Must Be Told
This photo reminds me that our work is not over — we must continue to tell our stories and share our history, especially in this season of DEI rollbacks and openly racist agendas.

They tried to erase us. They failed.
They tried to silence us. They failed.
They tried to strip us of our power. They failed.

We are still here.
Our stories will still be told.

🔥 What Stories Will You Tell?
📚 I keep telling these stories—
Through my book.
🎬 Through my ongoing film project.
🗣️ Through the conversations I lead and nurture.

And I invite you to reflect with me:

What stories will you tell?

How will you honor your lineage?

What wisdom will you pass on?

🧬 Your Story Is Sacred
In a world that wants us to forget, remembering is an act of resistance.

Your story is necessary. The world needs your truth.

The next generation is calling your name.
You must answer.

 

Across the King's River