SpiritMaa

A cultural priestess, channeling prophetic information for the mission of her organization, for her staff, for those she has taken under her wing - and who takes SO much of the burden upon her shoulders she sometimes forgets to hold space for other's perspectives, and forgets about Self care. 
  

A young wizard woman who wants to open an esoteric school, who has her own spiritual gifts, but has limited organizational and people skills and shoots herself in the foot trying to be top dog, I mean wizard. 

A Voudou priestess, who holds powerful public rituals, educating the community and the world about the healing aspects of the Voudou tradition, is respectful, humble and open - but who is 'ridden by the spirit' so much she has maybe aged before her time? And sometimes manages her group of initiates in a way that challenges boundaries?... 

Another Voudou priestess, whose personal Loa and her own financial acumen enable an extremely successful business and high levels of prosperity - who doesn't pay her staff their wages unless she is chased down, and has trouble trusting her employees.... 

A third priestess who is alchemically and psychicly gifted, manages a successful business - but who is obsequious in front of clients while putting them down behind the scenes.  Who throws a hurricane of energy around, and micromanages her staff to the n'th degree...

A witch who is bubbly, full of positive energy and seemingly a good friend - but is she making spiritually questionable deals with daemons? And why does her friendship disappear when one doesn't want to put their doctorate to work for her at minimum wage?

The Priest of the Dead who channels the Ghede Loa and who spits rum while he's being ridden by the Spirit. But is he dead-infected? 

It's what I came for.  I wanted to learn about women and power, I wanted to meet Priestesses of the African Traditional Religions (and even priests!).  But wow.  Can I just say that the lesson has been reinforced for what seems like the 20th time? Just because someone is on a spiritual path does NOT mean they have done their own emotional healing work.  SPIRITUAL BY-PASSING is alive and well in New Orleans!  

BUT THEN there is the meditation priestess whose energy calms just by entering a room.  Who speaks so deeply from the heart whenever she speaks. 

-And two well known priestesses who make me shake when they lay hands on me. 

-The spiritual brother who offers hands-on energy healing to everyone who asks. 

-A cultural priestess who looks and acts like a cultural Queen - and whose shared words generate spiritual power. 

-The priestesses who welcome all to the trance dance that is a Voudou ritual.
-The Voudou priest so powerful that one can feel it in every drum he touches, every dance he generates and the way his initiate group moves the energy.

-The Black Indian chiefs whose beauty, chanting and drumming call down the ancestors in the streets of the city. 

-The Brass band musical priests who call forth the people in neighborhood second-line parades all around...

Oh my, city of New Orleans.  City of trauma, city of power. City of beauty, city of pain. City of spiritual paradox, city of polarity!