N E W  M O O N
R E F O C U S + C O M M I T
It's a New Moon in Virgo.
With the anniversary of my birth day in a week,
I'm contemplating on my purpose, mission and calling.
We each have one.
Stevie Wonder has one.
Harriet Tubman had one.
Malcolm had one.
​
We've each made agreements to fulfill on our mission, purpose or calling.
Can you imagine how different this world would be if Stevie never wrote or sang a song,
Harriet never got free and
if Malcolm never went to the mosque?

On this New Moon I am mindful of purpose and mission,
then having the obedience to answer the call.
How about you?
Are you?
Have you?
Answered your calling?

If you're generous, SHARE.
In the Spirit of Superwomen & Goddesses, 

​♡ ☆ ♀
Ms. Akua Auset
Day 249 of 9/12 Moons 
New Moon

​Day 23 of 10/12 Moons 
Last Quarter Moon

It's been seven (7), yes SEVEN months since I last posted a note in this "mostly" daily notebook and oddly enough the last note was on a Last Quarter Moon like today as well as Day 23 of the current moon phase. Interesting. EXACTLY seven months. Signs & Symbols abound. 

Well the reason for the pause was BLESSINGS GALORE.
It turns out that our daily rituals, protocols and practices manifested blessings that overwhelmed my ability to maintain this "mostly" daily practice. I got a new house, a new car . . . well "new" to ME. I've been preparing an environment to host our community as well as supporting my fellow entrepreneur friends in the launching of their dreams because "No burden is heavy when everyone lifts." 

Did I catch you at AfroPunk in Brooklyn this summer at Fanta Celah's Healing Crystal Jewelry booth?
Did I run into you at Majani Vegan Restaurant in Chicago's South Shore community on a Wednesday or Thursday?

I am surrounded by friends who have become millionaires, global superstars, renowned healers, so in 2018 as a community, we'll be focused on CULTIVATING WEALTH & GENIUS. Self-Reliance as a family and community has never been more relevant than in these times. 

This Saturday at 11:11 AM/PM on 11.11 we'll declare "The Oath of Manifestation" as a kick-off for our Annual Winter Solstice Observance (since 2012). November (11) the 11th is the most auspicious time to declare your "resolutions," because by the time New Year's Day arrives it's rather . . .  "late and loud."

Join us TOMORROW Saturday, 11 November (11.11) at 11:11 AM Central LIVE on our Facebook event page/YouTube channel as we begin a new cycle of prosperity for 2018 and beyond. SET YOUR ALERT for your time zone.

CLICK THIS LINK to Sign-Up for a copy of "The Oath of Manifestation" and #2017WinterSol updates. 

Thank you for reading. I missed you.
​If you feel generous, SHARE.

​♡ ☆ ♀
Akua

Normally I speak of possibility and maintain a worldview of "YES."  My daily commitment is to focus on gratitude, appreciation, abundance and plenty of this life. Based on what I have observed in my time in this physical realm, I find a few things worrisome to the ultimate vision that this world works for "every One." I can't help but to perceive an agenda underneath the propaganda in which we are bombarded with. The last few days I have been turning the following questions over in my head:

What if .  .  .
The resources on planet Earth were not enough to sustain the entire "consuming" population?

What if . . . 
It was determined that the Earth's "consuming" population needed to be reduced so that its resources would not be depleted?

​What if . . . 
The dominating global superpower concocted a plan to reduce the "consuming" population of the Earth?

How would that be determined?
What would be the determining factors for one's annihilation or survival in this effort?
Who would be the most favorable individuals to remain on Planet Earth?
Who would be the least desirable individuals to remain on Planet Earth?

Have you ever asked yourself:

"Why am I valuable?" 

"Do I add value?"

"What do I produce?"

"Does my existence add or take away from the lives of others?"

"Am I primarily a producer or a consumer?"

"Am I primarily a giver or taker?"

Yes, it's the era of all sort and form of slayage and fleekdom, but at the end of the day are you necessary? 

Thank you for reading.

♡ ☆ ♀
Akua

​Day 9 of 2/12 Moons 
Waxing Gibbous

"Let us not become weary in doing good,
for at the proper time we will reap a harvest
if we do not give up."
Galatians 6:9

​
​Apparently the richest and most influential people on the planet are in the
business of war, drugs and sex trafficking using any means necessary.

​Let Us Not Become Weary While Doing Good
Somehow our gifts, talents, abilities, life's work, purpose and/or calling are
the things that bring us alive, put us in the flow, the zone, vibes us up . . .
If you're truly occupying your day with the things that invigorate, exhilarate,
and refresh you then it's a wise deduction that you'll never tire of it.

The goodness in you must be expressed, it cannot be denied.
If you keep focusing on the LOVE for what you do then the
results and rewards become a non-issue.

For At The Proper Time We Will Reap A Harvest
As one who is certified in Urban Sustainable Horticulture as well as coming
from a family of farmers and gardeners, on a DNA level I'm clear that 
manifestation, birthing, and sowing a harvest has a natural rhythm and cycle.

MAKE sure the seed is viable.
ANALYZE the soil for suitability to seed.
​TILL the soil.
PLANT the seed at the appropriate time and environment.
WATER the seed and soil.
FEED the seed and soil.
EXPOSE the seed to light.
PRUNE i.e. get rid of any weeds.
REAP your harvest when the time is right.

If We Do Not Give Up
So as you see there are proper steps to the sowing of a harvest.  
There is also a proper cycle to this process.
If you give up or quit before the process is complete,
no matter how long it takes you will not bring to life the very thing you've been called to do.
And if it was an IN-SPIRED (Spirit) action then it's your responsibility to see it through. 

I know it seems that the rich get richer, the bad people get away with murder
and the good guy/girl never wins but . . .
this isn't always true.

Be encouraged that if you utilize the laws of the Universe to manifest, the Universe has no judgment. If you follow the recipe to a "T" you get what you set out to get. It's like baking a cake, if you follow a great recipe, you'll get a great cake. It doesn't matter if you're an evil "arsehole" or a holy saint. You must follow the directions.

If we desire to cross the finish line and experience the
desires of our hearts we must follow the rhythm and cycle of harvesting.

It's time to get your hands "dirty" so get to it. 

​Thanks for reading. 

♡ ☆ ♀
Akua

​Day 5 of 2/12 Moons 
Waxing Crescent

I don't know about you but I don't like to cook in a dirty kitchen or create art in a messy studio. There's something about an environment of order and simplicity that elevates and invites in creative expression. I'm going to share with you how I invite my genius, muse, whisper of the Divine in for a rendezvous.

This morning I awoke with the voice again. My creative genius within. 
My genie.
My muse.

It had been quiet for awhile . . .
Oprah describes them as whispers. It's true. It feels like that. It's like you're hearing a voice from a headset while you're on stage performing.  A great deal of creative people like painters and musicians rely on drugs to tap in to this other world. It's not the only way to rendezvous with The Muse. Earth, Wind & Fire proved this by living a clean eating, holistic lifestyle. I often say if people breathed, did yoga and ate properly why on Earth would you need to do drugs to get that feeling of ascension?

During the Winter Solstice I was rendezvousing with my creative genius throughout the day. The whispers were rampant. About a month ago or more, a knee injury kept me from moving my body and training for a dance competition that's been in the works for awhile. And for whatever reason, lately I've been eating junk food; granted mixed in with my high-vibe foods but eating garbage none-the-less. I've noticed the rendezvous with the whispers have been scarce ever since.

I'm very sensitive so I can tell when a food is high vibe quality or toxic and insane.  I feel it's effects in my body, in my head. Unfortunately, some of my favorite foods are not beneficial but toxic to my body, like an allergy. Depending on what's happening in my life I'll eat those "offensive-to-my-body" food, or shall I say "Lola Yum Yum" eats them anyway. That's why I have no judgment of alcoholics or any other substance abuser because if I eat a donut knowing what it's going to do to me what's the difference really?

So Sunday evening I stopped this road to nowhere in its tracks. I got tired of feeling sluggish, emotional in ways that was unproductive and just not good in my body. It's been three days of clearing out while feeling bad, but this morning I could tell that my genie is back. Maybe it didn't go anywhere, perhaps the voice was just muffled by all the nonsense inhabiting space. Yup, The Voice was just drowned out by uncouth visitors.

Everything is energy. Never created nor destroyed just transferred, transformed and transmuted. The spirit, intention and vibe that our food is created with accompanies it's flavor, texture, and nutrition. Ever wonder the essence of a Cheeto?

Cheetos? I know, I know better but then what we eat isn't always logical is it? 
Sometimes in this big world the little girl who grew up without a daddy within feels vulnerable and foods from her childhood make her feel comforted. 

Turns out genies don't like dirty kitchens. If you desire that muse, genius, whisper of the Divine to speak clearly, concisely and with resonance to you: clean out, clear out, and vibe up!

The New Moon is in a few days and Spring is coming this way within the month.
I have an intimate community of women who are preparing for a Spring Beauty Detox & Cleaning kick-off this weekend. I'll be showing you how to discover your personal holy hour of creativity. Would you like to join us?

​CLICK TO EMAIL ME

Thanks for reading. 

♡ ☆ ♀
Akua

​Day 26 of 1/12 Moons 
Waning Crescent

F R E E D O M  •  P E R S P E C T I V E  •  P O W E R  •  D E S T I N Y  •  M O V E M E N T 

Have you ever had a dream where you're trying to run but
your legs felt so heavy you couldn't move?

Have you been feeling sluggish lately?
Do you feel disorganized, overwhelmed in confusion?
Has discouragement replaced your passion and motivation
for something you once were excited about?

Are you feeling like you desire more but there's so
much stuff preventing you from moving forward?
Where to start?

What if the plane you boarded had no weight restriction?
Would you feel comfortable flying across the country at thirty thousand feet in the air?

How can you soar like an eagle when you're weighed down with unnecessary stuff?
If you're ready to soar and live, it's time to lighten your load. 
If it's not contributing to the quality of your flight, get rid of it.
NOW.

This is the most beneficial time to do a bit of releasing as we're in the Last Quarter of the Moon (18 Feb to 25 Feb.). Let go and cleanse what is no longer contributing quality to your life. 

In the midst of feeling sluggish, disorganized, overwhelmed . . . where to begin?
Begin with the basics. Look at what is no longer contributing to you
spiritually, mentally, emotionally, physically?

Scour your life and look to release, let go and cleanse
what is weighing you down unnecessarily.

Look at every relationship, your body and it's organ systems
(digestive, lymphatic, liver, blood, etc. ),  your physical environment
(home [bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, etc.] , office, car),
your clients, work projects, organizations, debts, etc. 

The second New Moon of 2017 will be 26 February and the perfect time to create anew.
If it's not contributing quality to your life, give thanks for what
​it's provided in the past and let that "shite" go. NOW.

How else will you get unstock, feel light as a feather and be able to soar at the speed of light?
You've got to clean it up, clear it out, let that "shite" go!

After spending a refreshing and expansive weekend in DC with my family . . . 
​

I was left with this question that I posted on my Facebook post yesterday. 

Are you fascinated by heist films like: The Italian Job, The Thomas Crown Affair, Flawless, Ocean's Eleven, Entrapment, Now You See Me, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, ?

ORDER + PLANNING + STRATEGY
What makes the thief successful is their excellence in organization, planning and strategy. Perhaps the faithless leave nothing to chance so organization, planning, and strategy insure success. Perhaps the faithful leave too much up to chance expecting it all to just work out. What if the "righteous" utilized this level of science in carrying out their visions instead of leaving much to faith, hope and their very best wishes?

Ever wonder how the popularity of the mini-Cooper got it started in America? When The Italian Job film came out I started to see more people driving mini-Coopers. If you haven't watched The Italian Job (2003) check it and witness the level of flawless teamwork of talented thieves and technicians coming together to steal thirty million dollars in gold without a gun but using:  precision timing (to the second), flawless planning and strategy.

The DEATH Train 
We can't even pretend not to notice all the death around us in the world. It's like there's a big party happening in another realm and people are quickly making their exit to get there. 

As a little girl, my relationship with death was knowing that when people died they would be buried underground in a casket. What a scary thought in my young mind. Surely nothing I'd have to deal with anytime soon.  But it created an uncomfortable feeling about dying until recently . . .

DEATH? NAH
The idea of death isn't what it used to be to me as a young girl, it's nothing to run from or be afraid of when you see life metaphysically; that we are co-creators of our experience here and "there" and that we have freewill to power that experience. I'm not leaving this physical realm until I choose to. (Yup. You did indeed hear my "black" woman sass.) When I hear that someone has "died," if they were close to me or influential in my life, it's more that I will miss their physical presence in this Earth realm. 

I don't see it as some tragic thing unless it was through tragic or painful means that they left this realm. On some level I believe that we approve the experiences that we have because perhaps the soul, the God force within desires to experience the human contrast from it's omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent being of nothingness. Make sense?

Our attachment to life kind of goes away when we discover that EVERY thing is life, there's no such thing as death just the transformation of form. We are but particles of energy and energy is not created nor destroyed it just transforms it's expression. Hmmm . . .

. . . just my theory inspired by much experience, observation and clues given by others. Abraham (the non-physical consortium channeled through Esther Hicks) offers that physical death can be one's desire to re-emerge into life freshly or to express in the non-physical realm. I've wondered if the soul that was Bob Marley has re-emerged and what he's up to. Could it be we never truly die, we just transform form, like relationships?

MY DEMON. MY ANGEL.
We come together. We part company. But our presence in that person's life and their presence in ours never goes away. They become part of our beautiful soul ecology, even if the experience or their presence brought pain or dishonored you. The gift of your co-mingling is the wisdom you gained or the contrast of what you desire to have you desire and manifest another experience. Our apparent demons become our unlikely angels. 

Like King Alobar in the novel "Jitterbug Perfume" going through extensive lengths to discover the secret of longevity or August Wilson's film character Troy in "Fences" in a duel with death, people fear it, avoid it and run away from it. Seems though the faster you run from death, aging, anything for that matter, it will chases you down until you get to see that it was all an illusion because there is only life and the transformation of it.

Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosever shall lose his life shall preserve it. 
Luke: 17:33

GIVE ME A REASON TO LIVE
I've noticed often, but not always, partners who have been together a long, long time will pass away shortly after their departed beloved. I've also read that many die shortly after they retire from their life's work. ("Just The Way You Are" is playing now....love that song.)

Realizing this, when my mother retired from forty-seven years of being an educator in the area of Life Skills for young people, I was focused on inspiring her to create a future that she was excited to live into. 

The origins of this note was inspired by a dear si"star" who is part of our SUPERWOMEN & GODDESSES Facebook community. She messaged me that she was in the hospital in a life or death situation.  Of course, I honor her choice to be here with us or to graduate to another realm, however I wanted to encourage her to focus on an exciting future that she could live into. 

A FUTURE TO LIVE INTO
While being present is the key, I'm CLEAR on the necessity of having a future to live into. Having something you look forward to, something you're excited and passionate about that has you pop out of the bed each morning. Something that becomes Your Greatest Love Affair.  "When you give up your dream, you die." says Nick, Alex's love interest in "Flashdance."  
Yeah, like that. 

Having a future to live into builds our WILL to live. That fire in our belly that keeps us in action and powering through. Every one of us, desires to feel that our existence matters and is necessary to someone or something. When that is missing, perhaps we get overly wrapped up in the propaganda and distractions of the world, believing their REAL. (shaking my head) We really believe the hype sometimes.  It's "Just An Illusion" (by Imagination.) 

SERVE + CONNECT
I'm CLEAR that when we have a purpose through service and connection to people and the beauty of this world THIS is what creates LONGEVITY or LIFE. It's not about avoiding or fearing death but to LIVE, really LIVE, with passion, with intimacy, with brazen honesty ('cuz that people pleasing, ego-stroking really doesn't attract the best that life has to offer for us).

If you're ill, focus on healing and loving on your Self as well as what will be your next adventure in expressing your purpose through service. If you haven't discovered your purpose, just serve, provide a solution to someone's problem and you'll figure it out. Don't be stingy with the goodies. And you've got a lot of goodies mama/man. 

The Death Train that soul's have been hopping on lately I feel is actually a RE-BIRTHING of humanity. "Exiting Through The Gift Shop" to enter the front door of a Golden Age in this Aquarian Age.  Perhaps by providing a mirror of death, we're being presented with an apparent contrast inspiring us to REALLY live. 

We can cheat death, because death doesn't REALLY exist. It only exist in language as everything does (a Landmark Education distinction). While we slip in and out of realms, domains and galaxies, we are eternal.

Focus on contributing to others, serving others and adding value to others on such a level that you're missed when you choose to slip out of this party into another.

Thanks for reading. I appreciate you. 

♡ ☆ ♀
Akua

​Day 20 of 13/13 Moons 
Waning Gibbous
  

Do you know what time it is?

There's a time to be still. 
There's a time to proceed.
There's a time to retreat. 

Is your response at this time appropriate to what you desire in the depths of your heart?
Love. Money. Family. Health. Legacy.

What is the true motivation behind your lack of response at this time?
Time for Reflection?  Needed Rest?  Paralyzing Fear?  Pure Laziness?

As one who's done a great deal of work on my Self as well as in the area of leadership, I really get that many of us can't fathom how powerful our presence is when we do choose to show up. We sign-up for courses, initiate projects, pay for coaches, receive invitations, etc. 

If you have raised your hand and said, "Yes. I am down. I'm in. I desire to do this. I'm ready."
Then . . . you don't reply to the email, answer the call, respond to the text, show up to the appointment, etc. WTH?

Ok crazy, you've prayed, you've pleaded and asked for the good life, the upgrade, the breakthrough, you get it and then you  . . .
Don't respond.
You do nothing. 

I remember a very close friend once said to me, "It's easy to be successful in life because the average person just bumbles through life in mediocrity so those of us who just do the bare minimum, the basics, we tend to stand out."  What he said has stuck with me through the years. And I've seen that there is some truth to this. 

Lack of response falls into one of three mindsets:
1.  FEAR: you're afraid of saying "no," you're afraid you won't be able to . . . , etc. fear. 
2. INVISIBILITY: feeling that your presence has no consequence, they won't miss me.
3. PASSIVE: the answer is really no, so "no response" is your response

We both know that none of these behaviors REALLY work if you're playing the game of greatness. 

1.  FEAR: The best things in life occur with a bit of risk and moving beyond our comfort zone.

2. INVISIBLE: Do you know what it took for you to be conceived, survive pregnancy, child birth, your infancy, childhood, teen years and you're still standing here as an adult? You're the product of a million miracles and escaped death a billion times. There's is no one on this planet that is unnecessary or insignificant. You are a winner in the truest since of the word. You won the blessing of life, you have something profound to offer, if you would just respond and show up!

3. PASSIVE: Ok, you're just being a lazy coward. Rude. Inconsiderate. You'll get yours. Trust.

Here's a bit of metaphysical truth: At the end of the day, your interaction isn't really with the individual you're having this experience with but Universal Law itself. Every action creates an equal or greater reaction. Your fear, your playing invisible and small, lack of clarity breeds more of the same in your life and most likely from people, experiences and areas of your life you don't want to have that show up. 

Be generous, Be clear, Be courageous. 
Why? Because wealth, abundance and prosperity is created through the dance of giving and receiving. Kind of like the act of sex, the friction of polarity creates life. Your response ignites possibility and opens up worlds and adventures to you that embody the desires of your heart.
Tell me "Yes." Tell me "No." Tell me now.

Isn't it time to stop BEing stingy, cowardly & vague. We're better than our lack of response.
Commit less. Then respond.

Today share this note and declare who, what you're going to respond to today.
Yep, I'm talking to you. So . . . respond.
I'm going to leave the comments open to see who is being generous, clear and courageous today. ;o)

Thanks for reading. 

♡ ☆ ♀
Akua

​Day 19 of 13/13 Moons 
Waning Gibbous
 



​

I'm taking a quick break from the #21insights4nights to insert another #iAmHer360 feature. The timing is right as the Obama's prepare to leave the White House after eight years of service as Commander-In-Chief and First Lady.
​
​# iAmHer360 speaks to seeing other women as yourself and the celebration of every way that any woman chooses to express herself.  If you've missed any of them click this link for the playlist: #iAmHer360.

The first time I ever heard Michelle Obama speak in an interview, something stuck with me; that she got up every morning at four am to workout and to see to HER needs first before it was time to take care of everyone else. Being someone who rises before the sunrise myself, I was impressed and sensed a next level solidity to her that I respected. She also happens to remind me of my own mother . . . so there's that too.

In this feature, I share some my favorite of the first lady's many inspirational ideas over the years.

Think, Feel & Act Like A First Lady

M  R  S .     O  B  A  M  A '  S     G  E  M   S 
​
To Young Girls About Boys: Cute, Interesting & Otherwise
"There's no boy at this age that is cute enough or
interesting enough to stop you from getting your education.
If I had worried about who liked me and who was cute when I was your age
I wouldn't be married to the President of The United States." 

. : .
"Words matter." 
. : .

On Enduring Insults & Slights
"All of this used to really get to me.
Eventually I realized that if I wanted to keep my sanity and not let others define me,
there was only one thing I could do and that was to have faith in God's plan for me.
I had to ignore all the noise and be true to myself and the rest would work itself out." 

. : .
On Modeling What You Want
"If we want maturity, we have to be mature.
If we want a nation that's hopeful, we have to speak in hopeful terms.
We have to show love and empathy,
If we want smart leaders we have to be smart voters.
We cannot vote from a place of fear, but from a place of openness.
We have to model what we want."

. : .
On Your Challenges, Disadvantages & Disappointments
"Never view your challenges as a disadvantage,
this experience of overcoming is one of your
biggest advantages. You'll be equipped to deal with
further disappointments and discouragement.
You'll have the maturity and wisdom
to keep moving forward." 

. : .
On Authenticity . . .
"There are no surprises, no tricks up our sleeve.
We are authentic, came in that way and will leave that way.
The office amplifies who you are. It doesn't change who you are, it reveals who you are.
I follow my own moral compass. That's the only thing I have to live up to."

. : .
On Being Complacent
"The work always continues. We're never done.
Never be complacent thinking you've arrived.
We've seen how quickly things can be taken away if we aren't vigilant,
if you don't know your history. What are you gonna do?
How are you going to be better?
What are you going to change in your family dynamic?
We can't afford to be ignorant or complacent. 
Continue to do the work. 
 
. : .
On Balance & Having It All
"Don't beat yourself up about not being able to have it all. 
No one gets everything. You don't always get your way all the time. 
You learn that when you're a child. It's about managing expectations.
You're living your life through phases. You're compromising for certain phases, then later you may have more of what you thought you wanted. If you're not having it all right now, you're not failing.
Take care of yourself so you'll live long enough to make it happen later. 

. : .

On Mastering Your Schedule
"If I'm going to leave my house and leave my girls
I need to know how is this going to have an impact."

. : .

A Word To The Men
"Be better.
Be better at everything. 
Fathers, who love your daughters and are providing a solid example,
that is the greatest gift the men in my life gave me. 
I've never experienced abuse by the hands of any man in my life.

Be a better husband. Be part of your family's life. 
Don't babysit your children. Be engaged.

Be a better employer. Diversify.

. : .
On Service & Happiness
"I left the practice of law and went into public service for selfish reasons.
It makes me happy and feel good every single day. 
​I wanted to wake up and be inspired to do something greater than myself. 
That's what serving and giving means to so many.
Get out of the isolation and looking down at your phones. 
That's not enough, you need people in your lives that you're connecting with and helping. 
There's nothing better than knowing you're helping to change people's lives.
The haters and the doubters?  None of that matters because
you're getting so much out of the work you're doing. 

. : .
On Bravery
"Tips on bravery? I don't know if I ever view it as bravery. 
I just viewed it as I'm not going to be taken advantage of.
I knew my value. And that goes back to knowing who you are. 
As women and young girls, we have to invest that time
into getting to understanding and liking who we are. 
But you've gotta work to get to that place and if you're going out into the world
as a professional not knowing who you are, don't know what you want and 
you don't know how much you're worth then you have to be brave.
Then you have to count on the kindness and goodness of others to bestow it upon you." 

. : .
On Living Without Apology
"I"m going work so hard that my actions speak and I don't have to say anything. 
Let me live my life outloud so people can then see and judge for themselves.
Don't dial it back, don't dilute it. Don't apologize for it, it speaks for itself." 

. : .
On Knowing Yourself & Owning Your Space. 
"Stand inside yourself and own your space.
Our first job in life as women is to get to know ourselves 
and a lot of times we spend our time pleasing, satisfying and 
looking out into the world to define who we are. 

It takes taking the time to know who you are to be able to deal 
with the negative onslaught of the messages you're bound to get. 
I came into this with a pretty clear sense of self. 
And some of this comes with age, experience, being fortunate 
enough to be raised by a loving strong, focused mother and father who loved me dearly.
So I fortunately came into this situation with a really clear sense of who I was, 
It was easy to brush that stuff off because I know who I am." 
​

 21 Insights In 4 Nights
During the Winter Solstice I got quiet for four days and four nights and emerged with twenty-one insights; some were reminders, some were epiphanies, others were ideas.
​Insight #6 . . .
It's been ten years since I received about ten boxes containing the first edition of SUPERWOMEN & GODDESSES: Workin' Your Power & Magic.  I was enchanted by a vision after spending a day with porn stars, strippers, video vixens and 50 cent on a music video over a decade ago. I was crystal clear that when transformed little girls become women who choose suitable mates they will raise children in healthy, loving households and we'll experience transformation in our communities, world, planet. This book project was my love letter to my daughters and yours. My protective stand for the children of the post-gangsta rap generation, seeing the misogyny as a red flag of more degeneration to come.

WHAT IS YOUR PASSIONATE CAUSE THAT YOU WOULD FIGHT FOR?

Although, I never had a sense of urgency to hurry and get this book out, I figured I would be promoting and sharing it with people for the rest of my life, while at the same time felt that somehow one day the concepts in this book would become irrelevant. It felt like with the interest in natural hair and natural beauty becoming more and more mainstream especially in the "African-American" community I'd be singing to the choir. I really felt the day would come that women and girls would get the memo that as "The Golden Goose Of The Universe," our innate power and magic supercedes the colonized, misogynized, superficial and exploited fragments of female we had become on display for all to see. I, you, we're not quite there yet, we're getting there though.

DID YOU KNOW YOU ARE THE GOLDEN GOOSE SIS?

Although many would repeat Dicken's mantra that this is the BEST of times and the WORST of times, there are planetary influences, that will trump a great deal of the degeneration and nonsense we've witnessed in this last era. So this book is even MORE RELEVANT now than ever, but I'm not at all worried because I can see a beautiful victory ahead.

DON'T BE STINGY WITH YOUR GOODIES.
In this book, I talk about being "stingy with your goodies." Well, my blood sister teases me that I haven't really done all I can to make sure that people can easily get this book into their hands by virtue of the fact I've seen a remixed boot-leg copy in Atlanta while doing makeup on a music video with Usher and R. Kelly (Yes, I know. Dont' judge. The work of healers are needed everywhere. Jesus taught us that.) and that I've seen it sold on Amazon for over $258. She had to make me see that it wasn't as much a compliment but that there was a feeling of scarcity for the book. There are only fifteen-hundred copies on the planet. Not a good thing. This is a message, not a piece of artwork. As an artist, I had to shift my mindset and go for the masses because this is about the generations to come. So the scarcity of the book is going to change. We've been chanting #blackgirlmagic and that #blackgirlsrock for a while now so . . . in honor of the ten-year anniversary:

• I will PRINT a commemorative edition of SUPERWOMEN & GODDESSES: Workin' Your Power & Magic Book One with a commentary of my views ten years later on what I wrote back in 2005.
• I will have this available on Kindle, etc.
• HOST book circle dinners, workshops, events in Chicago, LA, NYC and selected cities

• FEATURE our readers over the next year. 

I'm really looking forward to connecting with some of our readers as well as introducing this work to new readers. 

DO YOU HAVE THIS BOOK? CLICK this link to connect with me.
DO YOU DESIRE TO HAVE THIS BOOK? CLICK this link to grab one or two or three . . .

What have you created, accomplished and built that needs to be commemorated and celebrated?
commemorate.
Thanks for reading.
Looking forward to meet you soon during this year of celebrating ten years of S & G!

♡ ☆ ♀
Akua

Day 13 of 13/13 Moon
Waxing Gibbous
 

Ever feel like that gold you be droppin' is going over their heads?
No shade but . . .
​​
"Do not give what is holy to dogs,
and do not throw pearls before swine,
lest they trample them under their feet,
                 and turn and tear you to pieces."                
Matthew 7 : 6

In Love, In Work, In Financial Matters, etc. 

Speaking of pearls, did you know the most expensive i.e. valuable piece of jewelry in the world is a 55 million dollar necklace by Mouawad Jewelry. It's an "internally flawless diamond."

SPARE SOME CHANGE?
So you know that apparently homeless guy in the subway asking for change? What do you think would happen if you offered this necklace to him? Do you think he would appreciate the value of the diamond or find it useful in his predicament? Do you think he would have the knowledge to even understand how this piece of jewelry could completely alter his reality, as well as those whose lives he could touch? Most likely and sadly . . .  not.

Still hypothetically speaking, his considerations are most likely focused on survival and would question why on Earth you were offering him a necklace when all he was looking for was a sandwich, some whiskey or his next hit.

INTERNALLY FLAWLESS
So why is it, us who have done the work on ourselves, our craft, built our wealth to be flawless, extremely rare and beautiful, attempt to share our heart, work, money with individuals who have no frame of reference or appreciation for our value? 

Oftentimes, when asked "Who is your customer?" The aspiring entrepreneur will say, "women."
As of 2014, there are 3.52 billion on Planet Earth, so WHICH women? Who are they, where are they, what are their challenges, what do they dream of, what do they read, etc.? If you're a business owner, freelance maker, man or woman in an intimate relationship, when are you going to get CLEAR on who that 1% is that can truly value, appreciate and cherish what you have to offer? 
 
1000 TRUE FANS
I love when Kevin Kelley came up with the concept of "1000 True Fans." He says, if you can develop 1000 true fans who will travel to see you, buy any project you launch, product you offer, you will do well in your work. In relationship, most of us only require ONE man or ONE woman out of billions so don't you think it's okay to be super picky and desire more than a pretty girl or a man with a job? Which investments are worthy of your cash and will bring in the highest return?

Several notes ago I spoke about the Pareto Principle i.e. the 20/80 rule. Continuing with that perspective, doesn't it make sense to focus our energy, time and resources on the 1% who appreciate, value and are actually looking for what we have to offer them. 

extremely rare. beautiful. flawless.
Only the 1% top earners in this world can afford to acquire one of the most expensive jewelry pieces in the world. With 11 to 55 million dollar price tags, these highly sought after and precious pieces by Cartier, Bulgari, Garrard, Chopard, Harry Winston, etc. are perceived value. What is extremely rare, beautiful and flawless is precious, sought after and valued; only appreciated by those who understand or perceive the value.

If you're a Cartier-level woman or man/maker/entrepreneur, how could you expect a dollar-store level consumer to not only "afford," but appreciate the value of and maintain the Cartier? It makes sense to continue to cultivate a relationship with the 1% who are looking for and will be jubilant to actually find that extremely rare, beautiful and flawless gem that you are.

In relationships, enterprise, you don't require or really want everybody's attention. Keep it clean and simple.  Jill Scott said it best, "Everything ain't for everybody."

focus on the 1%
What 1% are you going to invest your focus, time, energy and resources on this year?

More on this topic in this Sunday's Workshop "Love. Beauty. Wealth. You Set The Standard."

Thanks for reading.

♡ ☆ ♀
Akua
 ​
Day 8 of 13/13 Moons 
First Quarter Moon

​Source :http://www.wonderslist.com/10-most-expensive-jewellery-pieces-in-the-world/

Miss me?
I missed you.
Waking in the twilight hours to LISTEN, be in gratitude and then write a note here has become part of my morning ritual; my daily ministry to share the juicy magic that comes through for you, for me, for we. (Day Three Kwanzaa: UJIMA)

The Sun was in a standstill, so I (along with over 100 other people in our solstice observance community) went into a standstill for the most magical time of the year. Instead of creating shallow, ineffective New Year's resolutions, I/we put aside my/our agenda (s) and just LISTENED to "the Will of THY Will." I/we got into magi mode (crown chakra) instead of magician mode (root chakra).

Well mission-accomplished!
​I came out of four days and four nights with twenty-one insights.
Some were reminders, some were epiphanies, others were ideas and to top it off, experienced a-bit-o-magic.
 
Did you participate with us, get still and listen too?
What did you hear? What did you see?  What did you feel?
TELL US below in the comments if you feel inspired to (I don't normally have the comment section open so go for it!)

Every year I have a theme and I also got clear on what the theme of my year will be as well.
Over the next three weeks, I'm going to share the "Twenty-One Insights That Came In Four Nights."

​I'll share it right here in the notebook for you. 
Many of you have subscribed to this notebook. In about a week, I'll begin to send weekly emails so that you don't miss a single note.

I was just thinking about Kanye West yesterday morning hoping that whatever he's going through that he gets better. Although I've never met the brotha, he IS my HOMEboy because he was raised in "the Chi" by an educator/teacher just like me.

America, a culture which is highly influenced by the all-powerful British monarchy carries a bit of a self-deprecating way of interacting with others. People seem to be really turned off by unapologetic braggards, so when West publicly AFFIRMS himSelf, the public is taken aback and even loathe the audacity of his expression. Not to psychoanalyze the brother, but for those of us who grew up with an engaged/involved father, we most likely received the message that as a girl "you are delightful" and for boys "you have what it takes."  In the documentary "Absent," Justin Hunt explores the effects of the "The Father Wound" which are so profound, it's effected global culture itself. So if your daddy wasn't around to affirm that you indeed have what it takes, then who else will or should other than us?

I actually ADMIRE and am entertained by Kanye's bravado, perceived arrogance and freedom to BE his innovative, creative, artistic self. The key here is "the freedom to BE."

Kanye's personality reminds me of Aries-born Jack Johson (1878-1946), an American boxer during the height of the Jim Crow-era in America who was the first African-American world heavyweight champion. A celebrity athelete, audacious, brazen and unapologetic, Johnson lived life on HIS terms without concern for other people's ideas about how he should live his life. "Johnson constantly flouted conventions regarding the social and economic "place" of blacks in American society"...while breaking taboos in his relationships with white women, sometimes on the young side.

Traveling in one of the most expensive cars of the time (early 1900s), Johnson is famously known for being "pulled over for a $50 speeding ticket, he gave the officer a $100 bill; when the officer protested that he couldn't make change for that much, Johnson told him to keep the change, as he was going to make his return trip at the same speed."

Yes. During the Jim Crow era.

Capricorn-born Muhammad Ali chanted "I am the greatest!" with plenty of the world rolling of their eyes, until now we refer to him as the G.O.A.T.  

Ali's former wife Veronica Porsche said: "He took control of his destiny by making himself accountable with things like this predictions. Where he would say what round and then pretty much live into his future and be more pressured or accountable to do what he said he would do. So he pretty much, I think mastered life in that way."

If we were each to speak of ourselves through the eyes of the Creator that gave us life, how would we speak of our Beloved Selves then?

In our SUPERWOMEN & GODDESSES Facebook community, I think I'm going to create a Jack/Ali/Kanye day or even hour of the day (High Noon) called #ShineLikeJackMoment, #ShineLikeAliMoment, #ShineLikeKanyeMoment. Hahahaha!

There's humility and then there's just playing small to make others feel comfortable or because you're afraid of being rejected. Lying about who we REALLY are and living a life other than the one where we feel free to be doesn't serve ANY. BODY. Not a one person.

So SHINE my loves like it's SUNday and if the light's too bright they can put on sunglasses.

Thanks for reading. 

♡ ☆ ♀
Akua

​Day 6 of 12/13 Moons 
Waxing Crescent


Jack Johnson Historical Reference:  Wikipedia and the documentary "Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise & Fall of Jack Johnson"

In this series I ask some of my most beautiful, creative, wealthy, entrepreneur "girl crushes" how they create a life where they are cherished, appreciated and paid top dollar for their genius in their respective areas of talent and mastery. 

The #iAmHer360 series is an affirmation and celebration that the beauty, brilliance and benevolence in other women is also within us as well as having compassion for aspects of ourselves that give us the experience of various levels of pain, fear and isolation. 

At the end of the day, the health and consciousness of the planet lies in the health and consciousness of the si"star" hood, how we care for ourselves and each other. I'm committed to the idea that women set the standard to be cherished, appreciated and paid top dollar for their power and genius.

What You Deserve & Who You Are

T  H  E     C  H  A  T     H  I  G  H  L  I  G  H  T  S 
​
Little Girls ​& Women Embrace Your Insecurity
2:02 min. 
"Having a sense of self-worth is reliant on realizing that you're always going to have insecurities,
so don't focus on eradicating them but acknowledge, accept and value yourself despite them.
No need to gloss over them, sort them out or ​fix them. 

I would tell her to value herself for the right reasons and make peace with her
insecurities and to not lead with them. Create a relationship with them that's healthy. ​
When you build the right relationship with yourself, everything springs from that." 

"It is very, very important for women to be
very, very ​clear about what they deserve
​and to be very clear about who they are." 

6:10 min. 
Nourishing Rituals For Growing Self-Worth
"I stay in clear communication with myself, I check-in and clear my mind clutter."

On a practical level....
E A T I N G 
"There's a strong connection between the way that I feel and the way that I eat.
Eating nutritious and listening to your own body instead of imposing some set rules on yourself based on some philosophy. Learn what you feel most nourished by, what makes you feel good, what doesn't. I'm focused on high-quality food that I also enjoy."

H A V E   A   C R E A T I V E   P R A C T I C E 
"...that's not necessarily tied to what you do or your work. 
Sometimes when you make your living that's tied to your creative outlet it's an amazing gift in life but it can change your relationship to it when it's tied up in commerce or business or the real world.
It's nice to have a practice that's not necessarily about your work." 
​
​

Thanks for reading and listening. 
​
♡ ☆ ♀
Akua

​Day 1 of 12/13 Moons 
New Moon in Sagittarius

In this series I ask some of my most beautiful, creative, wealthy, entrepreneur "girl crushes" how they create a life where they are cherished, appreciated and paid top dollar for their genius in their respective areas of talent and mastery. 

The #iAmHer360 series is an affirmation and celebration that the beauty, brilliance and benevolence in other women is also within us as well as having compassion for aspects of ourselves that give us the experience of various levels of pain, fear and isolation. 

At the end of the day, the health and consciousness of the planet lies in the health and consciousness of the si"star" hood, how we care for ourselves and each other. I'm committed to the idea that women set the standard to be cherished, appreciated and paid top dollar for their power and genius.

Diana Ross, Aunties ​& Haters

T  H  E     C  H  A  T     H  I  G  H  L  I  G  H  T  S 
​
4:05 min. 
Working With Ms. Ross
"Larger-than-life figure who is down-to-earth, fabulous, patient and regular.
At the end of the day, people are people, it's the way others treat them that makes them seem like their different, unapproachable and untouchable." 

7:24 min.
Wisdom For My Daughter
"I'd tell my daughter to be a thinker, be your own unique person,
don't subscribe to what everyone else is doing. 
Be confident. Be educated. Be fierce. Don't be like the rest." 
 
"People judge you by the way that you look.
Always carry yourself in a way understanding that others are always
going to be looking at you and they're going form a perception of you." 

"Always dress for the job you want, not for the job you have.  
Perception . . . persona is everything . . .
it's all about what you project." 

8:31 min. 
Daily Declarations
"Make positive declarations over your life everyday.
Make a list of what you want to see change and improve in your life.
Everyday recite these declarations and soon it'll start manifesting itself." 

10:00 min. 
Who Everyone Needs In Their Life
"Everyone needs someone in their life that's going to tell them the truth. 
Align yourself with someone who's going to be authentically real with you." 

ON Haters
"Everyone has an opinion and everybody's not going to like you and
everybody's not going to hate you. It's just how life is."

"If you're down and out, first of all you've got to believe that you are not what people say you are. You've got to believe in yourself. You have to know that. When somebody tells you something that makes you feel a certain way, "consider the source."

15:50 min. 
Girl Stop Lookin' Like An Auntie
"In this day and age there's no reason for anyone to be fat and ugly.
You can look like a celebrity, on a budget. When you look better you feel better." 

"I see a whole lot of women out here lookin' like aunties.
You don't have to look like an auntie, I mean look at Diana Ross,
Diahann Carroll, Tina Turner, Sophia Loren, Sheryl Lee Ralph."

"You don't have to look like an auntie but you have to be willing to be
uncomfortable to get the change . . . most people that are mediocre,
that are average, that are not disciplined will not endure
that part that it takes, that separates you from the rest."
​

Thanks for reading and listening. 

♡ ☆ ♀
Akua

​Day 27 of 11/13 Moons 
Waning Crescent

I hope you had a chance to listen to and read my chat On Abundance, Worthiness & Poverty Mindset with Tracy Neely in yesterday's note.

Today continuing on with another chat in the #iAmHer360: SuperWomen & Goddesses Series. 
#iAmHer360 speaks to seeing other women as yourself and the celebration of every way that any woman chooses to express herself. 

In this series I ask some of my most beautiful, creative, wealthy, entrepreneur "girl crushes" how they create a life where they are cherished, appreciated and paid top dollar for their genius in their respective areas of talent and mastery. 

The #iAmHer360 series is an affirmation and celebration that the beauty, brilliance and benevolence in other women is also within us as well as having compassion for aspects of ourselves that give us the experience of various levels of pain, fear and isolation. 

At the end of the day, the health and consciousness of the planet lies in the health and consciousness of the si"star" hood, how we care for ourselves and each other. I'm committed to the idea that women set the standard to be cherished, appreciated and paid top dollar for their power and genius.

Get Michelle's iiT Factor Guide to A Haute Brand & Happy Life: 
CLICK TO SIGN-UP

Spontaneity, The Enlightened "No" ​
​& Growing YourSelf

T  H  E     C  H  A  T     H  I  G  H  L  I  G  H  T  S 
​
:05 sec.
On SPONTANEITY
"That's what the soul wants.
What can we do that makes us feel most alive?
How can I surprise myself with what my soul wants."

4:12 min.
"The ENLIGHTENED "No"
"...is saying and sharing my enlightened "yes" and "no" unapologetically with love and elegance.
What do I really want to be doing in this situation?
I take care of myself when I share those "nos.." it always comes out in an amazing way."

12:00 min.
On HAVING MORE & GROWING YOURSELF
In order to find and grow that amazing relationship,
to get clear on what that business is and grow that, you must grow yourself. 
Get excited and be a life/soul scientist about working on yourself." 

15:01 min.
On SOULFUL TRAVEL
"...a wonderful way to grow yourself, a tool to get to know
yourself deeper and a great way to also move energy.
Ask yourself questions. Observe your life and be curious. Who are you really?"

18:28 min.
On HAVING TOUGH CONVOS
"Closure conversations to stop, clean, clear energy leaks and blocks." 

23:45 min. 
On SACRED ACTIVISM
"Expressing more of our humanitarianism is the new thought leadership.
Grow your business while growing your consciousness,
nurturing generosity and being of service."

​Thanks for reading and listening. 

♡ ☆ ♀
Akua

​Day 23 of 11/13 Moons 
Waning Crescent

Today I'd like to introduce the #iAmHer360: SuperWomen & Goddesses Series. 
​
#iAmHer360 speaks to seeing other women as yourself and the celebration of every way that any woman chooses to express herself. 

In this series I ask some of my most beautiful, creative, wealthy, entrepreneur "girl crushes" how they create a life where they are cherished, appreciated and paid top dollar for their genius in their respective areas of talent and mastery. 

The #iAmHer360 series is an affirmation and celebration that the beauty, brilliance and benevolence in other women is also within us as well as having compassion for aspects of ourselves that experience various levels of pain, fear and isolation. 

At the end of the day, the health and consciousness of the planet lies in the health and consciousness of the si"star" hood, how we care for ourselves and each other. I'm committed to the idea that women set the standard to be cherished, appreciated and paid top dollar for their genius.

Abundance, Worthiness & Poverty Mindset

T  H  E     C  H  A  T     H  I  G  H  L  I  G  H  T  S 

1:10 min.
Her Ritual To Release Money Blocks
You'll need: Money Manifest Mist
Sweetgrass
Palo Santo


2:05 min.
ON ABUNDANCE
"Abundance flows to and through us because it goes out.
Money isn't something you hold on to in the scarcity
mindset because you don't know when you'e gonna get it again.
It brings more of that lack mentality, that lack vibration into your being."  

3:33 min.
ON BEING WORTHY
"You Are A Light Unto This World
And You Are More Than Enough By Just Being You
Never Make Less Of Who You Are So That People Feel Good About Themselves"

4:50 min.
YOUR FOUNDATION
"Find something that you're passionate about and connect with something greater than yourself."

"People will not value what we do and pay us top dollar for what we do unless we value ourselves."

6:29 min.
HOW TO TRANSFORM A POVERTY MINDSET
"Nothing is going to change or transform until we are aware of that thing.
Writing down what's going, your story, your beliefs about money is the beginning of your awakening which then leads to your transformation."

Thanks for reading and listening. 

♡ ☆ ♀
Akua

​Day 22 of 11/13 Moons 
Waning Crescent

It looks like Rahyma capturing attention with her "drool inducing fashion marvels" may lead her to fulfilling her ultimate vision. Here's what was revealed in my chat with Rahyma about her secret for success . . . ​​​

RAHYMA: Everybody would say hard work, but it depends on your level of hard work. Your hard work may not be the same as my hard work. I don't know if it would work for everybody, it's probably telling on me as you can see but I work hard too much. To the point that when I have an idea I cannot sleep. That's how bad it is. 
AKUA: It's like a Spirit. 
RAHYMA: Yeah because I'll be thinking, "Wow this much opportunity? How am I gonna get it? This person is getting it? That means that I can get it. What am I not doing? What do I have to do. It doesn't make me sleep. I need to know how I can get to that level. 
AKUA: So is it curiosity?
RAHYMA: No it's just, it inspires me to get to the next level because I see somebody's doing it so I know I can do it. If you see everybody failing around you it just makes you feel maybe can...you also...ok everybody's failing anyway. You know what I mean? Like ok...
AKUA: It's contagious. 
RAHYMA: I'm getting one dollar and everybody's getting one dollar so it's ok. It's just like you sitting her now and you saying I'm happy I can hear these people talk, I can see what they're doing, I can actually see... Really, they're getting something out of what they're doing. It's making you feel like you I have to now execute. That's how it is for every, that's how it should be for everybody.  So that's really my big drive. I look at a lot of things that are bigger than me and work hard to get to that big place. 
AKUA: That's brilliant. Love it.
RAHYMA: ...and I'm very calculated. I can see...and think, think, think just so that I don't make a mistake. However at the back of mind I still leave room for mistakes. Because I know it can never be all perfect. But would I just leave myself to fail? No! I always don't won't to feel guilty when something goes wrong. And that's why I work so hard. So I know, ok I work so hard, but I don't feel guilty because I didn't do my best. So what is next? Just like yesterday, even before I came to the pop-up, I'm already thinking here: "What's next?" Because this is gone.
AKUA: Yea. It's a new day. Clean slate. 
RAHYMA: I have to start thinking of what is next? What am I going to do? I'm going back home, what is the next project, what am I putting together? There's always a drive. 
AKUA: When did you start your business?
RAHYMA: I'm gonna say 2010 because that's when I finished school, fashion school. So I went straight into...I wanted to wait but I just went straight into business because I had the demand and since then I've not stopped. My goal is to be in the big malls. 
AKUA: I can totally see that. So I was going to ask you what your big picture is, what's your big goal? So it's to be in the malls.
RAHYMA: To be in the big malls, not just the small malls.
AKUA: Like Neiman-Marcus, Barney's New York? . . .
RAHYMA: Thank you. So if I'm not working hard, I'm not gonna get there. So everything that I'm doing right now, is to get me to that place where I wanna go.
AKUA: And what do you feel has been your biggest accomplishment so far that you're very proud of? 
RAHYMA: The amount of growth of the business in a very short period of time because I'm gonna say that everything really started this year. 
AKUA: So you put in six years before it really . . .
RAHYMA: I put in a lot of years and the thing...like...it's really nothing. So I could say I started five or six years ago, but nothing was really happening in the first years. Nothing was really coming out of it. It was just here and there. People loving the stuff, just to validate what I was doing. People saying "Oh my God!" but nothing really coming out of it. But really that's how you know that if you continue things forward, it's going to be something big.
AKUA:  Just keep going. 
RAHYMA: ...cuz those same people that are validating your stuff in the long run if you work hard, you play your game well it will turn around into...(she's make a gesture with her hand)
AKUA: Moolah!
RAHYMA: You just have to continue pushing forward. Never give up. Never let anything...you know your downtime, never let it really bring you down. Let it be something...your ingredient to go up!
AKUA: Right! Look for an adjustment.
RAHYMA: Yes. Always, always, when you fall down, just always think of: "How do I get up?" Immediately! Don't give yourself time to sulk, cry and say "oh God...."Even when you lose because I've lost before. I went for a show and that show cost me...I spent about five thousand dollars and it was scanty. There were no people there.  I said to another jewelry designer who was so mad, "Don't be mad, you're meeting a lot of people, sometimes if you don't take the chance you wouldn't know, you may have missed out on something."  He was very upset but I was over it. The first day I didn't see anything happening I was like "What next? What next? What next?
AKUA: You just gotta keep it movin'.
RAHYMA: Yea. You gotta keep it movin'.

Company: RAHYMA pronounced "RA-HEE-MA"

Product: Scarves, Tops, Jumpsuits, Dresses, Separates in 100% Cotton Ankara Cloth

Description: ​Luxury African Print Fashion: "Drool Inducing Fashion Marvels"

Collection Pieces: Dashiki Trench Coat Dress, Maxi Skirt, Dashiki Harem Jumpsuit or Skirt 

Made In: Proudly Nigerian

Price Range: 19.99 - 169.99

Owner: Rahyma Momodu-Awanife

Business Started: 2010

Website: rahyma.com

R A H Y M A
Proudly Nigerian

B E S I D A
made in nigeria

B E S I D A
​bombay skirt

Company: BESIDA

Meaning: Besida is a female name from the Itsekiri tribe meaning "destiny determines all."

Product: Tops, Jumpsuits, Dresses, Separates in 100% Cotton Ankara Cloth

Description: ​Hand-made, Stylish, Affordable

Collection Pieces: AfriKimono, Fan Maxi Dress, Gidi Crop Top, Bombay Skirt

Made In: Edo, Nigeria

Price Range: 29.99 - 114.99

Owner: Sophia Danner-Okotie aka Sophia O.

Business Started: August 2015

Website: BesidaOnline.com

A Chat With Sophia O. . . . "My Secret For Success" 
While traveling to LA on assignment I had an opportunity to visit with my multi-genius Renaissance Woman friend Fanta Celah while she was on Zuvaa's Multi-city Pop-Up Tour along with fellow entrepreneur designers Sophia Danner-Okotie and Rahyma.

Each designer is a success in her own beautiful right. Ever on the alert for superwomengoddess power and magic, I was curious about what each woman attributed to her success in business. Here's what was revealed in my chat with 24-year old native Nigerian, Sophia O. . . . 
​ 
What Is Your Secret For Success?
"It may be cliche and perhaps the most obvious secret to success is prayer."
​
"Anytime that I feel like I'm in lack or need strength or feel like I'm about to worry about something. I say: "God I'm not going to worry because I know you're gonna work." It says: "In your time of weakness, that's when I'm strong."

"In a way, you can bask in your weakness because you know that's when God is most powerful. He has all the energy and he just wants to surprise you. There's so many instances where I felt like that was it for the week where I wasn't going to make enough to match my bills or pay my workers and he just does something at the last minute when I would get on my knees and pray "I need your help and I know you're gonna make it happen." That's the secret. 

I build a wall of defense around me that whatever the enemy has in store for me is going back to turn around in my favor." 

NEWS REPORTER TURNED ENTREPRENEUR
"I was working as a news reporter on TV. Everyone thinks that because I was on TV that I made it. I didn't feel that was my purpose. I quit my job four months ago so I could focus on this to take it to the next level and that's where it's going. 

God told me it was time for me to turn in my two weeks notice. I had the letter written out and said "Lord if it's time, you will show me a sign." I wrote the letter and put it on the table. And that day my boss called me in and she said: "Hey I just wanted to know if you were still thinking about staying?" I said: "Today is the day that I give my two weeks." I already had the letter written. Isn't that crazy?"

Greatest Success So Far:
"Seeing how much people appreciate the clothes, appreciate where it's made. I advertise my clothes are made in Nigeria. If I could change my clothing line to "Made In Nigeria" I would. The idea that these are made by the people [is the most powerful aspect to this whole vision].

It's so difficult communicating here, there and then getting what I need here, but it's so worth it.  Because I've seen my tailors expand. I'm hiring more tailors, I hired a supervisor there now. So I'm giving jobs, you're adding to the economy. That is the reason I started the company, not because I love clothes necessary because I want more jobs in Nigeria. And I want to inspire people to go back to Nigeria and start. They could do bags, they could do jewelry, it's just the perception that they're African, what really can they do?"

What Is The Big Vision For Your Company?
"Getting more designers to go to Nigeria to make their clothes. When you see "Made in Italy" you assume it's going to be of quality. Let's see if we can get Louis Vuitton in Nigeria to make a collection there, the production. And to change the connotation of that Africans make mediocre, but that Africans make supreme quality." 

Thanks for reading. :o)

♡ ☆ ♀
Akua

​Day 17 of 11/13 Moons 
Waning Gibbous

wealth.
love.
​success.
Yeah we say we desires these things, but are we REALLY ready to receive them into
our lives if they came knocking at our door TODAY?

When you get that big pay day, do you have a financial management and
investment structure that will insure those seeds harvest more fruit?

When he/she shows up are you ready in every way to receive them fully into your life?

When you get that call and have the attention of the world finally,
are you ready to handle all the interest that comes with it?

My friend, beautiful and prolific jewelry designer K-Fleye and
Will Smith have been saying for years:
"Stay ready so you don't have to get ready."

I got an unexpected text on a Wednesday evening at 7 pm to be across the country the next
morning to do makeup for a TV series. I made it happen and was there.

 A metaphysician knows that if you don't make space for things in your life they have a hard time getting in. Sometimes they will drop in anyway, and as the unannounced guest looks for a place to get cozy, you've got to scurry about trying to pull it together to make their visit comfortable.
You've been hoping, praying, desiring and conjuring but didn't believe they were coming so soon.
 That's the funny thing about life, each day really is an adventure
because you never know what or who is going to show up.
Everyday we are creating a legend.

It's an amazing phenomena that every time I clean my house and let go of unnecessary possessions, I get a call for an assignment, product orders come in or otherwise somehow attract prosperity.

The holiday season is here, with the powerful winter solstice leading us into a brand spanking new year.  
This is a really good time to explore what we need to do to get ready for wealth, love, success
if we're truly serious about attracting, being, having those things. 

Get your passport.
Keep a suitcase ready.
Keep your toenails done.
Lover ready undies.
Have your EPK (electronic press kit) updated.
Products stocked.

Let's get and stay ready for all the wealth, love and success that our hands and heart can hold, ​because any day is a good day for miracles to occur and the legend to continue.

♡ ☆ ♀
Akua

​Day 16 of 11/13 Moons 
Waning Gibbous

Ever wonder why people consistently fail at their New Year's resolutions?  It's the wrong timing. 

Whatever you are focused on during the Winter Solstice will be amplified during the next 365 days. For any goal, vision, desire you have, there is not a better time than the Winter Solstice, the longest nights of the year to cultivate your genius within by being still and listening. 

The most Ancient Egyptians were legendarily advanced because they discovered the secret of cultivating the genius within. In the cocoon of darkness, dreams, visions and insight come forth like none other. 

Although the Winter Solstice is over one month away, we know that the seeds for manifestation began yesterday on
11.11.16.

​​Dec. 19 to Dec. 25: Is the Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, the four days and four nights when the sun stops its progression are the shortest days (9 hr. and 8 min.) and longest nights (14 hr. 51 min.) of the year.

Winter Solstice: Wednesday, 21 December, 2016 at 5:44 AM EST

I've personally observed the Winter Solstice since 2012 and host an annual observance community on Facebook. A great deal of my observance practices were inspired by the work of Ra Un Nefer Amen of Ausar Auset Society. 
​Not on Facebook? Shoot me an email and I'll find a way to include you in the goings-on. 

This year's observance will include key events:
1. Pre-Winter Solstice Cleanse/Detox beginning on Sunday, Nov. 27th
2. Global Conference Call
3. Celebration & Gathering at Metamoorphose Wellness Temple on Friday, Dec. 30th.

The basic protocol during these four days (​​Dec. 19 to Dec. 25) are the following: 

1. Eat lightly.

2. When the Sun sets don't use any artificial light.

3. Quiet your environment.

4. Refrain from speaking.

and 

5. L I S T E N 

Be ready to write down what you hear and see. 
When the Sun returns you will be the newborn Queen/King ready to serve, receive and shine.
This is the ULTIMATE preparation for a 2017 filled with Health, Love, Unity & Prosperity.

♡ ☆ ♀
Akua

​Day 14 of 11/13 Moons 
Waxing Gibbous