I hope April has been treating you well. In this episode of Energetics of Collective Liberation, we discuss the importance of interpersonal dynamics and building trust as we work to build liberated futures.

Here’s a quote from the reading that sums it up:

“If we can’t be brave in our relationships, we cannot confront empire.”

Check out the spread below:

Let me know your thoughts about this reading in the comments or replying to this email.

Peace,

Mila💫

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I’m thinking particularly about my paternal grandmother, and how we don’t really talk when I come to the altar. She’s not that communicative with me. She will pop in from time to time, but she has no interest in being around me on a consistent basis or sitting on the council of elevated ancestors that has spiritual custody of me. My paternal grandmother does not have spiritual custody of me. My paternal grandfather does. He is actively here all the time. He is actively someone that I speak to and call on.

And part of that is because in their lifetimes, my grandmother birthed nine of his children, raised these children, never got a chance to do any type of professional work. Although she did a lot of community work, which is still work. And she was honored by the city of Detroit for her work, specifically with Operation Get Down, which is a very important community organization on the east side of Detroit (look it up). But she labored a lot in her lifetime doing child rearing. So now that she has transitioned, she has no interest in rearing her grandchildren from the ancestral altar.

My grandmother was also a Sagittarius. I suspect she had a lot of fire in her that she wasn’t able to use and explore in the ways that she wanted to. Because she said that every time that she would get ready to go back to work, she would get pregnant.

And so I say all that to say that I think, as an archivist, as a Black femme, I think that honoring her spirit is not so much about endlessly talking about and remembering everything that she did while she was alive in that lifetime. I can remember those things for myself and utilize them for how I want to move forward and things that I want to do (or not do). It’s not about the memories having no function. They can still have a function for me. But in terms of ancestral veneration, I don’t believe she gets anything out of that. Because she has pretty much said, “I don’t need anything from you”. I don’t need you to be at the altar giving me anything or any offerings or anything like that, because I’m not even here for real. I’m out there. I’m St. elsewhere.

And she’s not the only one of my feminine ancestors that I feel this with. Most of my ancestral court is men. And I’ve talked to people about this before. That’s largely because the women were the ones doing all of the work when they were here. The men, spiritually, emotionally, were very absent. And so them being in the ancestral realm now and having certain insights that they were blocked from while they were in the flesh, they now have the time and the energy and the wherewithal to do for their children and grandchildren what the mothers were always doing. And even if [the mothers] didn’t do it, what the mothers were at least trying to do or tasked with doing when they were living.

And so I wanted to say that sometimes honoring an ancestor isn’t about remembering them - it’s about forgetting. Sometimes it’s about laying to the side what you knew about them and allowing them to live so fully through you in a different direction. Sometimes it’s about dreaming them forward rather than remembering them.

I don’t really think about time linearly or anything like that, so we know that their experiences and that these timelines can be layered on top of one another. It’s not just about backwards and forwards. But this is about the philosophy of how we think about ancestral veneration and the technology of memory. Dream technology is also a thing.

Sometimes the function of the memory is for us to realize that they don’t get anything out of us just going over it again and again, talking about it over and over, and giving energy to a version of themselves that they’re done with. That is not serving their spirit.

These are things that you will only come to these kinds of realizations through the work of relationship with with your dead. This is not something that you can apply across the board to all your grandmothers. This is something you will only know by showing up to the altar and talking to them or trying to make contact, honoring them and then listening to hear from them “I’m not really here for that”.

And then you will start getting revelations about how the DNA they passed on to you wants to operate through you right now. And if it wants to operate through forgetting versus preserving those memories, at least as it pertains to veneration, which is supposed to be for them, then you need to honor that. Your relationship with that ancestral spirit could get stronger through you listening and honoring something like that, honoring the space between you and who they are now.

This made me think about my trans sisters, people who were assigned male at birth and then transitioned into womanhood or my trans brothers and trans siblings who were assigned a gender at birth and transitioned into someone else. This is why some of y’all relationships with y’all ancestors is not going to go very far or be very fruitful if you’re transphobic. You don’t have the right mindset to honor people’s autonomy.

It’s not about whether your granny was secretly a trans man or whether you had queer ancestors. If there were parts of them that were queer, not necessarily in the sense of who they wanted to sleep with, could be that, but maybe that they lived a very traditional type of life, but there were parts of them that didn’t want to live that way, and the only way that you engage with them is by putting the traditions that they upheld in their life on a pedestal. Constantly giving it energy and feeding those memories versus listening for who they are now, who they have transitioned into once they left this earthly realm.

Some of y’all are not going to understand the connection between what I’m saying about the ancestors and our trans siblings, but I was moved to say that for a reason and I’m not going to censor myself. That’s all I really had to say. Thanks for listening.

Check out my other articles on ancestral relationships:

Need personalized support in connecting with and building relationships with your ancestors? Access the Familial Energy Workshop recordings, one-on-one readings and consultations below.

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Peace ya’ll.

January has been a LOT and February is fast approaching. As we enter this month, we are called to holistic understandings of collective truth/reality, energetic/mental manipulation, and the importance of returning to ourselves. It’s a short month, but there’s a lot to be contended with.

The reading starts at around 5:30, the written portion of the lost audio, & the cards for this reading can be found below.

Starting with insight from The Devil card that came out in this reading, I talked about how we need to be vigilant against the manipulation tactics of the powers that be, media (including social media) and guard against being manipulated even by well-meaning people around us. This can look like being made to think about liberation and collective struggle as the opposite of your actual well-being. Addiction also came up with this card and I discussed being careful not to get addicted to watching everything play out, allowing the constant stream of news to hijack our nervous systems and ultimately paralyze us.

The oracle cards that came up were Stillness and Purification. The Stillness card underlines the message that The Hermit card on the bottom of the deck brought us. This is about the importance of quieting your mind and returning to yourself as an intentional strategy for your own wellness and for the good of those you are responsible to in your communities. The Hermit is not hiding or ignoring what is happening externally. Being still is not the same as being frozen due to fear. It is not learned helplessness. Understanding the importance of taking time to yourself to recharge, nourish your being and truly understand yourself is key to how you show up in your work in service to others. To know what you are offering and why, to study, train, and fight with purpose.

The Purification card comes to remind us of the importance of detoxing - from screens, harmful or unhelpful perspectives, thought-processes, routines, and habits. February is a time for cleansing ourselves of what is no longer helpful - look at it as a internal pre-Spring cleaning. Use your time in the shower and the rain to purify yourself, your heart, your mind, and your intentions. Express gratitude to the water spirits on your spiritual team and ask them to assist in this purification. And while you’re at it, ask for guidance on how you can be of service to the water spirits in your community.

Friends, this is not the time to abandon your methods of self & communal care, nor is it the time to zone out with no plan of returning to your role in revolutionary work.

Lately, I’ve started writing letters to my mind every day to create more intentional processes around what I’m thinking and why. I’m sharing of my letters here:

Upgrade your subscription for more insights on the lunar transits in February & how to utilize the energy in your spiritual integration.

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That’s all for now.

p.s.:

Access your free Creative Spirit Workbook, Familial Energy products & services here.

Love,

Mila 💫

Today, we purged.

There was pain. There was…an attack.

We fixated for awhile and bore witness to some hurts that resurfaced starting on the first of this year. We faced some fears surrounding vulnerability and taking up space. But just like earlier this month, after letting the hurt and the anger come up to be processed with presence and authenticity, that energy quickly left. It was replaced with joy, curiosity, and nourishment.

The urge to ruminate and drag out the emotions simply went away. The desire to make the person who hurt me take back some of that hurt dissolved.

At a time like this, it is extremely important to hold dear the fact that we are not an entity that bitterness can easily take root in.

Yes, we feel. We emote. We complain.

But we have crafted ourselves in such a way that love and gratitude flourishes in such abundance that healing is not only possible, but very accessible based on the growth that we have prioritized.

We did good today. Thank you for functioning and being on my side.

Love,

Mila 🩵

Letter to my Mind is my current method of documenting the relationship between different parts of my body and how I am experiencing my thought processes at this time. I am praying this internal navigation assists me in Walking the Path. And I hope that through sharing, it services you as well. Share if you feel so called. Thank you.

Auditory Offering:

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What’s good ya’ll,

I pray your New Years Eve is safe and enjoyable! Get cozy, grab some tea and settle in to listen to the reading for how we need to be approaching our spiritual and collective liberation in January 2026.

Listen, re-listen, chew the meat and spit out the bones.

If you’re looking for more guidance specifically around the full moon this week and the new moon on January 18th, check out the paid subscriber content here:

Love ya’ll 🫶🏿

Mila💫

soundtrack:

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Peace, gods.

I hope you all are ending September with peace in your hearts and fire in your spirits. As we look ahead to October, which is Hoodoo Heritage Month, we are reminded of the power of our choices. How do we choose to show up for ourselves and those we are responsible to? How is our perspective keeping us rooted in learned helplessness and narratives that serve the interests of our oppressors? We need love, art, and a commitment to studying and honoring the people who did revolutionary work.

Article mentioned: Only Revolutionary Love Can Save Us Now

TikTok mentioned:

8 of Swords post mentioned: Escaping the Trauma Trap

Nubia’s post mentioned:

Honorable mention: More on the energy of Libra by Fifth House Bloom

See ya’ll on the other side.

Mila💫

Clarity and confirmation for ancestral relationships, generational healing and spiritual support in lineage work available

Click the image below to access one-on-one Familial Energy Work readings and post-reading debriefs, as well as Familial Energy Work workshop replays and materials.

Reading starts at the 6 minute mark.

General Month Ahead Reading Spread

Key Themes:

Consider the impact of your choices, especially on those you are responsible to, your environment, and yourself as you are making decisions for your life and future. This consideration can prepare you for hurdles that may come.

Taking multiple perspectives into account before you make a move allows you to make choices with confidence and taking action from the heart (shout out to all the Leos 💛)

Mercury Retrograde isn’t just a time for technology to be wacky and things to be inconvenient. It’s a time for us to review and take everything into account before we make decisions.

Call in spiritual assistance to help you confront stagnant energy that is negatively impacting you and your environment.

You are becoming an expert on yourself and your life. Reaching this level requires you to see yourself as the leader that you are and acknowledging the fact that you’ve earned your position with knowledge and experience. Release the version of you who thinks you are not in charge.

Personalized Pick-a-Pile Messages

Let your intuition guide you to the Spread with the insight that you need for this month.

Peace!

I hope ya’ll are safe and cool. Here in Detroit, it’s in the mid 90s and it’s humid. While we wait for the HVAC guy to get back to us, I’m thankful for cold water, popsicles, fans, and family members with AC and pools.

Now that Summer is officially here for those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, I was led to do a summer solstice reading to bring down messages and relevant insight for the energy we are dealing with collectively. For paid subscribers, there is a pick a pile reading that will offer additional, more personalized messages for the full moon in tropical Cancer next week, June 25th.

Our final Familial Energy Workshop session is next Sunday, June 29th. Tickets are sliding scale & anyone who purchases one is entered into a giveaway for a free Familial Energy Work reading, which is a service that is not offered to the public. If you need access to this offering and cannot afford a ticket, please reach out via messages on Substack, my social media, or email me at shakurspiritualservices@gmail.com.

Without further ado, let’s get into these Summer Solstice messages:

Thank you for listening. Be well 💫

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Peace ya’ll,

Happy Venus Day 💗

Here is some insight for you all as we head into June.

Quick reminder to grab your tickets to the Familial Energy Workshop Series.

The Creative Spirit Work session, where you will learn about the role of creativity, artistry, archival, and myth-making in ancestral work, lineage elevation, & protection work is this Sunday on June 1st at 3 PM EST.

We will be discussing how music is used as a spiritual intervention, ancestors speaking to us through art, why creativity is necessary in doing protection work for our lineage, using visual imagery as divination & conjure, + so much more. I hope to see you there

Moving on to the collective message for June…

This Gemini season, books 📖 and bibliomancy is our friend. There is also a lot to release with the help of this upcoming full moon on June 11th. Listen to the reading for more details.

Paid subscribers, we get in depth about the lunar cycles in June, both the full moon on the 11th and the new moon on the 25th, in addition some inner child insight through a pick-a-card reading…

Peace good people,

Thank you so much for your patience with me getting this reading out after March has passed. If you didn’t see it in the chat, we had flooding and no running water last week, so it was very hectic, which put me behind schedule on a lot of things. Your monetary support definitely helped get us through that exhausting situation 🙏🏿

Anyway, let’s get into this reading💯 It seemed like fate that I wound up recording and sending this out on Venus day because I was led to ask for specific guidance around revolutionary love. Both the upcoming full moon in Libra and the new moon in Taurus at the end of this month are in signs ruled by Venus.

Speaking of Venus, take a look/listen to the post I made about healing my relationship with abundance.

The full moon will be coming the same day Venus goes direct, April 12th (we’ve been in Venus retrograde for a while now, idk if ya’ll could tell 🥴 ), and Mercury will also be going direct on April 7th. So this month will be pivotal in applying what we’ve learned throughout the retrogrades and moving forward with clarity. So let’s get into it. Click play to listen to the messages for the month of April and check out the photos of the tarot and oracle spreads 👇🏿

As always, thank you for being here. I hope these messages found you at the perfect time!

In Love & Solidarity,

Mila💫

One-time tip link.

* wow. people care about this.

* this is just a documentary about me…will anyone care when they realize that?

i share a draft with my big cousin, cuz it feels right.

he gets it. my spirit is soothed and my heart is full, having this point of connection with my family. reassurance i didn’t need to explicitly ask for. being understood without having to explain.

i think about what the caption will read when i post it…

intentionally imperfect.

sounds good, but I know that really, it’s a slick way of explaining myself apologizing for the choices i made in choosing the clips, in how i edited, in the way i recorded the audio…

it’s a diary,

i remind myself.

something i was lead to share, but a diary, nonetheless.

this started as a voice memo that I made while cooking, savoring a rare moment of quiet and solitude in the kitchen where i was allowed to think. and i liked the thoughts i was having. so i recorded them. i liked the idea of having the sounds of the kitchen in my recording — i wanted to remember this moment, just as it was. and then i wanted to share it, just as it was.

i wanted you to hear the crunch of me chopping the red bell pepper i got weeks ago at the Korean market that managed to still be fresh and delicious. i wanted you to hear me peeling the skins off of cloves of garlic that sound like the loudest paper you would ever find. i wanted you to hear the water running from my faucet briefly.

i wanted you in that moment with me — so i brought you there.

i dug through my library of videos to find visuals to accompany my voice recording and constructed a non-linear timeline — proof that what i was speaking was truly wisdom earned. through over a decade of raising children, learning, growing, and noticing the different ways Spirit spoke to me.

i saw the proof.

throughout the years, through my own eyes.

“it’s so important to document and archive”

indeed.

my life is worth documenting. this docuseries of mine is worth celebrating and sharing, because i have lived.

this is memory work.

and it is significant that i care to remember.

stay tuned for entry #01.

in order of appearance:

voice of Martez Shakur (my firstborn son)

Kamila Shakur

my auntie’s miniature carousel

light fractals forming through a libation on my altar

a butterfly in my backyard (and plants, and other insects)

quotes from Lucille Cliffon poems via my Divining Poets oracle deck

a freeway in my hometown

recording of a presentation from the Time Zone Protocols Prime Meridian Unconference, featuring Sun Ra

a bonfire hosted by Black to the Land Coalition

Peace ✌🏿

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Hey ya’ll 👋🏿

Idk about ya’ll, but for me, January has been rough. It feels good to end the month doing this reading - I needed this just as much as anyone listening.

February will bring with it internal confrontations, new rituals, and very good reasons to live with purpose in the midst of chaos.

As you take in this reading, feel free to pause and think about the themes that are coming up and what they mean for you. Use your revelations to set or revise your New Moon intentions.

The meditation starts around 4:40, reading starts 7:39 if you wanna skip me yapping at the beginning lol. The cards are below for you to view.

I also wanted to share a post by Ismatu for more insight into birthing new worlds. For some reason, I’m unable to share it, but if you go to their Instagram page you should see the reel posted on Feburary 5th. I implore you to watch it.

In this reading, I repeatedly reference “a new world” in an effort to communicate the necessity of collective responsibility, co-creation, and collaboration. As Ismatu states, we are creating multiple worlds simultaneously and the way that we grow these worlds is through connecting with others who are building worlds that are complimentary to ours. Thinking about the worlds we are creating this way, as already existing outside of linear/colonial time, not needing the permission to only exist once imperialist, oppresive worlds are completely eradicated is very important and also strengthens the point I brought up about optimism. Just wanted to share that!

If this reading helps you at all, leave a comment, send me a message, or leave a tip. It helps to know who I’m getting through to.

Love always,

Mila💫

The reading starts around the 10-minute mark. Below is a photo of the spread.

Thank you for rocking with me this year. I appreciate your support more than you know.

In Love & Solidarity,

Mila

Happy Halloween 🎃

I hope October has treated ya’ll well and that you’re ready for what November has in store - even if you don’t think you’re ready, you are. The new moon in tropical Scorpio is happening tomorrow on November 1st, a great way to start the month. The energy of this lunar cycle will usher in exactly what we need to continue throughout the …

This reading is for the eclipse new moon in (tropical) Libra on October 2nd, 2024. In this reading, we talk about how important intention will be for this lunar cycle. Especially for those of you who practice Hoodoo, October is Hoodoo Heritage Month. Being intentional and disciplined about your energy and ancestral work at this time is highly recommended — it is recommended all the time, but particularly now.

If you want to access the full month of October reading, consider becoming a paid subscriber. It’s only $5.15, I covered a lot of details and went more into the transits that are happening this month.

Walking The Path is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

In the meantime, take this opportunity to sit with these messages and let them help you set your intentions for the new moon and the rest of this month. View the spread below for more insight through the visuals on the cards.

If the messages resonate and assist you, monetary tips are greatly appreciated. Click here to send a tip. This is a great way to support if you can’t subscribe. If you can’t tip, genuine words of affirmation & encouragement are greatly appreciated as well. Leave a comment or send a message if it’s on your heart to do so.

Love ya’ll. Peace.

-Mila

Walking The Path is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

I hope you’ve been well. It’s the first of the month and there is beautiful energy abounding. This reading is for the month of June and I also touch on the upcoming full moon on June 6th. If you’re interested in a more detailed reading for that lunar cycle, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. Your support means the world! I hope you get what you need from these messages and feel free to share this with anyone who could use some good energy💫 You can view the spread below.

Peace,

Mila

Sharing a message for the collective as we wrap up Pisces season and the spiritual new year. Unsurprisingly, we have a lot of themes around the suite of water, spirituality, and emotions. Keywords are faith and fulfillment. For more personalized messages, check out the post below.

Background music:

Have a great week, everyone💫

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As I was writing a reflection prompt for a forthcoming e-book, I went to use the word luxuriate. I paused before typing and went to look at the definition. There were two:

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* to enjoy oneself without stint; revel

* to grow fully or abundantly; thrive

The reason I checked the definition is because I have done a fair amount of critical thinking about the concept of luxury in my lifetime. It started in my 20s when I was writing about fashion. Luxury labels were seen as the pinnacle of success, as they still are today. Throughout my time in that industry, sustainable fashion became a point of interest to me. I could appreciate the aesthetic artistry of clothing, but I couldn’t ignore the environmental impact the fashion industry made, specifically the amount of waste and harm that luxury brands were responsible for in the name of exclusivity. This made me more critical of the concept of luxury in fashion and as the Black Girl Luxury movement gained traction over the last few years, I began wondering about the philosophy of luxury.

The main question I have always had is: can luxury be participated in responsibly? The conclusion I came to is no, it can’t be. I came to this conclusion based on the root of the word luxury which is luxus, a Latin word which translates to excess. Over time, my perspective on what excess is has shifted because as I’ve grown, I have come to understand that what some may think of as excessive or unnecessary may in fact be necessary for someone to live a life of quality and care. For example, someone said that having a doula or a midwife is a luxury and that’s simply not true.

Just because the standard of prenatal care in our society is so low and people are made to think that the only medical care they should have access to is an OBGYN doesn’t mean having a doula is something pregnant people don’t need. In fact, the medical system being structured that way is the reason why birthing people need doulas and midwives. These professions came about because western medicine did not and does not value marginalized birthing people and they still needed quality care. This is why many doulas and midwives offer sliding scale prices for their services to marginalized people.

The truth is, we all deserve more than the bare minimum. There are enough resources on this planet to assure none of us have to operate that way. However, the luxury industry depends on exclusivity. Scarcity must be created in order for people to place a higher value on something (like a Birkin bag) and see it as a luxury item. I’ve seen people create their own definitions of luxury (“luxury is sitting in a bubble bath and putting my phone on DND”, “luxury is being able to spend my time the way I want to”, etc.) and it irked me because I felt like rebranding the word so that it was more accessible robbed people of the opportunity to think critically about how the concept of luxury actually exists in the world and the harm it perpetuates.

That was until I looked up the word luxuriate.

Obviously, this word is related to the word luxury and in the first definition, that energy is there. It’s talking about enjoying yourself without frugality or limits. But then you get to definition number two and you see “to grow fully or abundantly, to thrive”. Other definitions say “to flourish extensively or profusely”. I find this interesting because while there are more definitions that align with excess (“to take voluptuous pleasure, revel”), these are definitions that focus more on growth than decadence (derived from the word decay, in case you’re wondering).

As you grow, you need more. What would have been considered excess when you were 5 was a need by the time you turned 10. To live fully, you must grow. If you’re not growing, you are decaying, this is the nature of life. As you get larger and go farther, your needs expand. You don’t just need to consume more, you also need to contribute more. When an (eco)system is built in such a way that everyone growing can sustain themselves, have a quality life, and give back in proportion to the needs of themselves and others, then luxuriating responsibly is possible.

With that revelation also comes the reality of how irresponsibly many systems are operated. When people in power make greed and domination their focus, we get systemic issues like the ones created by imperialism and colonialism. This guarantees that few get to luxuriate and grow to their full potential while many others are stunted and starved of the opportunity to live a full life.

This is just one example of how people of a certain mindset may view growth and how it can be harmful. As we work to be better versions of ourselves in this world and improve the places where we take up space, it’s important to think critically about how we evolve in a society that normalizes disregarding others as we grow instead of taking care of one another. How do we organize and distribute resources and power so that many are thriving and not just a few?

I found this contemplation helpful as I integrate themes of self-reverence, personal growth, and social responsibility - all of which relate to my spiritual wholeness. I offer this as an opportunity to reflect on how we can bridge these definitions and concepts in order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of how we move through the world, how we can live fuller lives and help others do the same.

You are welcome to let me know your thoughts on this topic or explore your thoughts and keep them to yourself. Have a great Wednesday and I’ll see you next week.

Peace

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“The conclusion and completion of a difficult life cycle won’t always feel celebratory, but be affirming of your humanity as you consider your navigation and settle into new life cycles.”

-Donnecia, @thickimusprime

I turn 30 in less than a month. It will be the official end of my Saturn return and the complete lunar eclipse in Scorpio (tropical) will be taking place on my birthday, November 7th. So many cycles are coming to an end. So many new cycles are starting. I can already feel the newness, as well as old things resurfacing for one more review and the last goodbye.

Contending with this energy has been requiring a lot of me, particularly emotionally and physically. I am grieving hopes and wishes that did not unfold on my preferred timeline. I am facing realities that I have managed to do a great job navigating, yet are still very difficult and painful to live through. I’m dealing with all of these very layered, very heavy, complex emotions while still showing up as I am led to, walking by faith and expecting more greatness and blessings in my future. There are a lot of nuances involved in these processes and allowing all of my feelings and experiences to coexist within me is necessary. But it’s also taxing on my mind, body, and spirit.

This month started off great for me. But now that we’re in the middle of the month, I’m realizing that as blessed as I’ve been and as grateful as I am, I really need and desire a lot more than what I currently have. And it’s become glaringly obvious that what I currently have is not all that is available to me. This is a great realization, but it also comes with a lot to sort through and plan. These stages of sorting and planning force me to face a lot of the very real things I deal with that affect how much I can do and what I feel capable of. As a person who lives with physical afflictions and chronic pain, this is not an easy thing to think about.

A big theme for me lately has been patience. Truthfully, this theme has always been important in my life (I’m a Saturday baby with an Aries moon, hello?). However, between 2021 and now, I have begun to look at time and patience in new ways that have helped me gain more understanding and approach life a lot differently. Though as I stated before, it has not all been easy. This unease, I believe, is the cost of freedom. It requires putting away old methods and ways of understanding so we can create or adopt new ones that get us closer to the life we know we should be living. This process does not come without patience, pain, sacrifice, and death. 

These are all precursors to the rebirth we must go through before we can step out of the old journey and step into the new one. These are all things that have led up to and prepared me for this huge life change that I feel coming, though I cannot see all of how the change will manifest. This is where functional faith comes in, but equally as important, it is where unconditional love for myself comes in. Where honoring and witnessing myself without judgment is extremely necessary.

I know that the cycles are ending. I know that the time for celebration is coming. But before I can completely fall into that, I have to address my hurt. My fears. My uncertainty. I cannot let go of things that I don’t acknowledge. It takes a lot of patience as well as courage to sort through these hardships, both internal and external. But this is the assignment that I have right now and it’s required before I can fully move into this new life that I have worked so hard to create for myself.

So as this New Moon eclipse approaches, as I gear up for these new cycles and to be reborn into this new life, I am prioritizing self-love, self-care, patience, and honesty.

I suggest ya’ll do the same.

Peace & Love,

Mila

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In today’s episode, I talk about a recent encounter I had with *dysfunctional* faith and what I learned from the experience. It’s levels to this! Give it a listen and drop a comment if this resonated.

Prompts for the week:

* Where are you using faith as a bargaining chip to access something that’s not for you?

* How can you utilize faith to get alignment with what *is* for you?

Check out/revisit the previous posts in the Functional Faith series to assist in answering these questions.

If you appreciate the free content I provide & you feel moved to, you can leave a tip/donation here: https://linktr.ee/kamilashakur

I love and appreciate y’all for being on this walk with me. Have an amazing week and a Happy Full Moon!

Peace, y’all.

This is part 2 of the Functional Faith series. I may come back and add some additional text, but the episode is pretty comprehensive. How is your Faith journey going? Drop a comment if this message resonated, even if it’s just a emoji 🙏🏿✨ As I said, I’m not working so if you wanna drop a love donation for my work, that would help me a lot as I work toward recovery ❤️‍🩹 Pay links: https://linktr.ee/kamilashakur

Love y’all💫

If you’re signed up for this newsletter, your faith matters to you. You are invested in your spiritual development, at least enough to seek out content that can help with it. Because life is better when you believe in something. But the age of belief is over. Now we’re in the age of knowing. The age of information. Data. And a focus on how information is used to increase functionality for people (get used to the tech analogies 😂). 

That includes spirituality. So let’s get right into it:

How functional is your faith? 

Let’s look at the definition of functional. 

From that definition, 3 key words stood out: Purpose, Operate, Useful.

Functionality in the spiritual sense is measured by how you operate, how aligned you are with your purpose and on a “mundane” level, it’s about usefulness. How useful are the operating systems you’re using to become a better person? How do these things help you achieve the purpose you came here to fulfill?

Now let’s look at the definition of faith.

To believe something is to accept it as truth. To KNOW something is to watch it operate & witness the outcome. We go from accepting what we’re told to observing long enough/well enough to see for ourselves what is true/what works. That’s essentially the process of growing up out of what we were taught as children and into seeing the world for ourselves. This is what gives our faith a strong foundation, because it is built on our life experiences and dedication to observing what leads to self-improvement vs what doesn’t.

Let’s be clear: There will absolutely be times when you have to believe it before you see it. However, the saying that “faith is blind” or that you don’t need proof when it comes to spirituality is also incomprehensive. Even in the Bible, some things had to happen in the physical realm for people to respond to God. (Burning bushes, instant healing, plagues etc.) Regardless of how it seems, tangible results have always been a part of spirituality. Because this life we are living is a spiritual assignment, of course seeing things in the environment we learn in is necessary. 

When I ask how functional your faith is, I’m not asking if all your prayers get answered instantly. I’m not asking if you’re able to manifest whatever you want. What I’m asking is, how is your faith improving your ability to be the best you? When we look at the keywords for faith, we see trust & confidence. Confidence has been a major theme for me ever since my 5th house profection year last year. Astrologically, Confidence often relates back to Leo (which is ruled by the sun & rules the 5th house - I’m a 5th house stellium :)

If it’s one thing I’ve learned it’s that without confidence, faith does not exist. If you are not confident in what you claim to believe, it’s not faith. It’s most likely fear. Fear to admit you don’t really know who or what to believe in. Fear of the devil/hell you were taught to be afraid of. Fear that you will fail at embodying your best self. If that is what you’ve been carrying around and calling it faith, this is where you have to get off that ride. It’s a pretty scary conclusion to come to, but a necessary one if you hope to move forward with clarity. I’m pretty sure these upcoming eclipses will help with illuminating this, so if you’re into astrology, pay attention to these transits and be intentional.

Here are some prompts for you to reflect on this weekend (you’re gonna wanna revisit it after we hit mid May and have that full moon lunar eclipse in Scorpio):

* What/who do I have the most faith in? *Is this reflected in my actions?

* What was the last choice I made that demonstrated my faith? *How did it turn out? (Skip if n/a yet - check back next month)

* Are the things I put my trust & confidence in helping my heart, mind and spirit?

Music Meditation: Who Do You Believe In - 2pac

I’m toying with the idea of making this a series, so please respond with how this newsletter helped or flopped for you. Cuz at the end of the day, my mission is to give y’all what you actually need - not what I assume you need. So don’t be afraid to comment, dm me, any of that.

I’m gearing up to schedule clients for the month of May. I have services starting from $22. From creative clarity to connecting with your ancestors, there’s something there that will help with your spiritual journey. Check out my services: Let’s Heal.

I’m currently working on some digital products for y’all because sometimes you don’t need a reading, but something you can readily grab as a resource when you need it. Stay tuned cuz y’all will be the first ones to get access to everything as subscribers. Y’all loyal, so you know ima look out.

Spiritual Music Stuff

Click here for part 1 of my musical analysis of Future Hendrixx. You can also listen on Spotify.

Check that out if you want to hear me talk about Future’s connection with the planet Pluto, his low vibrational nature, and his latest album ‘I Never Liked You’.

If you’re interested in my work related to music, check out my upcoming series Intuitive Listening and sign up for the Music Notes newsletter as well.

With that, I hope y’all enjoy y’all weekend! Jummah Mubarak 🤲🏿

Peace ✌🏿

Kamila

What’s good, ya’ll. The audio is distorted until you get to 1:12, I apologize. Please skip ahead to that timestamp. I was basically talking about the tweets that got me to thinking about the topic. This podcast episode talks about what Maryam Hasnaa calls sacred adornment, the circumstances and environments that contribute to us doing energy work with clothing, jewelry, and accessorizing, as well as examples of how the energy we put into how we look is about much more than how we appear externally. Around the 18 minute mark, I give an example of what a materialistic spiritual assignment could look like.

Now let’s get into the newsletter where I explore other facets of this topic:

This piece has been a long time coming. For decades, I have been grappling with my personal relationship to money and materialism, trying to find the balance between being a poor righteous teacher/starving artist & having a healthy relationship to the material world I’m inhabiting. Of course, because my ancestors have a hand in every part of my life, they are the ones helping me reconcile with this. This line of thinking started picking up last year when I tweeted about my ancestors having dress codes and how they require me to show up to the altar wearing certain things on certain days/at certain times/when I am communicating with certain spirits.

There is a connection between why it was so important for us to look our best at church on Sunday. Why the ushers and the church mothers wore white when they did. Why they took such pride in their hats. It may have seemed superficial, and maybe it was. But that wasn’t all it was.

I thought about it even more as the discourse about Black women in luxury picked up. For context, you can read my general thoughts on luxury in this Twitter thread. For now, let’s shift the conversation from the energy of clothing to Spirit & materialism in a broader sense.

A big part of my fraught relationship with money was due to how I grew up. I was raised an only child and never had to want for anything until I became a teenager, when the recession hit. So it wasn’t a lot of scarcity that produced this, it was actually a fear of overspending and not being able to manage money properly. I’ve been big on saving ever since I was a kid, before I really had any responsibilities. I never wanted to be down to my last if I could avoid it.

As I grew up, that very sensible trait became entangled with fears I developed about when money would run out and how I needed to behave in order to keep the money I’d earned or received. I had learned how to save. But I didn’t really know how to spend and be confidenent that the money would come back to me because my foundation was so rocky. So for me, spending money on what may seem unnecessary to others was something I had to do to heal the energy I had around money. Sometimes I’d go to the altar and the homework was to SPEND the money my spirits had gotten to me through my work or gifts.

In the midst of spending, I still had to be responsible. I still was monitoring my accounts and looking for the best deals. Just because I was spending more didn’t mean I was free to be reckless. Paying off debts was also apart of my spending assignment, and it definitely shifted the way money was flowing in and out of my life. It also brought about exciting opportunities that would eventually turn into a source of income later.

We’re constantly bombarded with programming about the value of money and how it affects people when they have it or when they don’t. I was also running into a lot of prosperity conciousness type stuff that was making it difficult to understand what the real work was. Affirmations, budgeting and abundance frequencies didn’t do the work for me. Citrine crystals and green candles didn’t do the work for me. It was about listening to my spirit and the spirits I trust, which gave me opportunities to engage with energy and money in such a way that it allowed the healing to happen, little by little.

This newsletter isn’t encouragement to spend what you don’t have or to aspire to spending on unnecessary things. But it’s important to remember that because Spirit affects everything and uses everything, that includes material items and money. As Venus Retrograde comes to a close, I want this to prompt you to reflect on how you’re thinking about money and what the dynamic is like between you, your spiritual team and your finances.

Are you using your ancestors like an ATM? Are you trying to do money workings and failing to see the results? Are you judging others in your mind about what they buy and how they spend their money? Are you repressing your fears and doubts about being able to handle large amounts of money? Are you skipping spiritual assignments because to you, they look stupid, mundane or materialistic? Dig deeper.

As I end this newsletter, I am so excited to announce that I’m getting back to work doing readings next month! Remember, if you need help affording any of my services, please don’t hesitate to email me. Sliding scale prices and payment plan options are available. Intuitive Listening sessions are $99.99 for a limited time, so if you’d like to book one of those, this is the prime time to do so.

Check out my services KamilShakur.onuniverse.com

Click here to submit an inquiry for services.

Click here to check out testimonials.

Want to tip me? It would be very much appreciated. Cash App-$KShakur2U PayPal Venmo-@MilasUniverse

Check out the K Shakur Speaks Podcast

Listen on Anchor

Listen on Spotify

Have questions about the topics I discuss? Email me at ShakurSpiritualServices@gmail.com.

Peace

Peace ya’ll.

Many blessings to the pure of heart, welcome back to Walking the Path. As you can see, this newsletter comes with its own podcast episode, which is pretty cool. This is exclusively for Substack, I won’t be uploading this anywhere else for the for-seeable future. I curse and ramble all throughout it, but if the message is for you, it will hit and stick like grits lol. Let’s get into the written version of this message.

Welcome to the Wu.

The image above is the Wuji (Wu-chi) symbol. It represents the highest state of nothing. A few years back, I started learning Qigong, “a system of coordinated body-posture and movement, breathing, and meditation used for the purposes of health, spirituality, and martial-arts training.” as Wikipedia so eloquently states. I was looking for different body movement techniques because I couldn’t do dance as intensely as I once had and yoga just wasn’t hitting for me. I came across qigong, started practicing and I loved it. I fell off in my practice, but recently, it has re-entered my life, a welcomed return at the start of my 6th house profection year. The 6th house in astrology rules over health and routine. As someone with various health debilitations, this year is extremely important for me.

In the midst of my Saturn return, as I get more acquainted with aging and my own mortality, it has become crystal clear that I cannot afford to neglect my health any longer. Qigong is now apart of my daily routine and improves the health of my body, spirit and mind. It centers me. It helps me regulate and distribute my energy efficiently, in the flow.

During my daily or nightly qigong practice, I have to come into the wuji posture. Being in this state always feels so sublime. The amount of vitality & stillness that you feel in this state, after you’ve renewed and charged up your energy is unmatched. It truly is the highest state of nothing. Wuji can also be translated to “without ceiling”. And that’s the essence of why it feels so good, because you can feel the pure potential and how limitless it is. How limitless you are.

We tend to want to do in order to see how far we can go, how much we can accomplish. But often, we miss the crucial step of accessing and becoming one with nothingness before we make our moves. When we prioritize being in the wuji state, we move with a clarity, a sharpness and yet a fluidity that begets efficiency, authenticity and wholeness.

Now I know what you’re thinking: this is just the same message everybody else is saying about rest, but with a different word and philosophy. You would be correct, because all of these topics are interconnected and influence each other. But the reason I’m bringing it up now is because there is often an immense pressure to have a million things done before January 1st. The house has to be spotless, Black folk got rituals we have to do, we gotta figure out what our goals for the new year are, we need to have a plan for how to achieve those goals, and a back up plan just in case the first one doesn’t work, and a vision board and you need to be doing whatever you wanna be doing for the rest of the year on January 1st - you get the idea.

While all of these things are important, I feel the need to encourage you to place doing nothing at the top of your to-do list. A few minutes every day, just you and the cosmos. Not going over what you have to do that day. Not planning anything. Not even verbally praying. Again, you’re probably like “So meditate…” Yes lol. But it’s less about trying to clear your mind of anything and more about sinking into the space you exist in before you start thinking and planing and doing.

The wuji state is meditative by nature, but it’s different to me based on the fact that before I reach that meditative state of stillness, I was actively cleansing, strengthening and renewing my energy. I didn’t get to stillness by just being still and that’s what makes the wuji state different from meditating from sitting down and being still from the get go. You don’t have to do qigong to get this effect, you get the same sensation after you listen to a song that had you hype as hell and when it ends, it’s just quiet, you’re still in the vibration of the song, but you’re quiet and/or still. That’s the wuji state. If you don’t know what I mean, turn on a song that makes you get lit every time, without fail. Play the song and have the time of your life. When the song ends, just sit still and be quiet for the next few minutes. Try it and see how the rest of your day goes. Observe your responses and how you feel throughout the day. Try implementing it these next few days and see how you feel on New Years Day.

I’m currently on hiatus from readings and energy work from the public until February 2022. However, I am going to be servicing Walking the Path subscribers who want to book a service before February. Whether it’s ancestral guidance or energy work through music, I got you covered. Lately I’ve been wanting to be more exclusive about who I share things with. This podcast, the offerings that are closed to the public, this is my way of doing that with you, as a token of my gratitude for your support.

Click here to submit an inquiry for services.

Click here to check out testimonials.

Want to tip me? It would be very much appreciated. Cash App-$KShakur2U PayPal Venmo-@MilasUniverse

Check out the K Shakur Speaks Podcast

Listen on Anchor

Listen on Spotify

Have questions about the topics I discuss? Email me at ShakurSpiritualServices@gmail.com.

Have a beautiful end to 2021 and a beautiful start to 2022.

Salaam