Peace and blessings, family. Welcome to Soundtracks of Wisdom: The Akua Projects’ Podcast Magazine. I’m your host, Rakia Ari, broadcasting straight from the studio where the rhythms are heavy, the vibe is analog, and the lessons are eternal.

Every single culture across this beautiful planet carries a map hidden within its words—proverbs passed down from ancestors meant to guide us through our modern storms.

Hey there, family. Welcome back. Pull your chair a little closer to the circle, slide your feet a bit nearer to the hearth, and just let the busy, demanding noise of the outside world fade away into the background for a little while.

We’ve had a fast-paced week, haven’t we? So much pulling at our attention, so many roles to play, so many expectations to meet. But right here, in this circle, none of that matters. You don’t have to explain yourself. You don’t have to perform. You just get to rest in the warmth of this space.

Today, we are doing something very special, and very sacred. We are stepping out of our usual analytical conversations and wrapping ourselves in the ancient medicine of a story.

It’s a story born from the rich, red clay hills of Masvingo, shaped by the massive, protective branches of a great Msasa tree, and deeply rooted in a piece of ancestral Shona and Malagasy wisdom you’ve heard us sit with quite a bit this week:

“The axe forgets, but the tree remembers.”

I want you to think about those words as we prepare to listen.

If you’ve ever carried an invisible, heavy wound that the world carelessly told you to “just let go of” or “forgive and forget”... if you’ve ever had to do the silent, exhausting, somatic work of growing around a deep scar while the person who hurt you moved on entirely untouched, with a clean conscience... this story is a mirror for your survival. It is a quiet validation of your stubborn, beautiful resilience.

And at the very same time, if you’ve ever had to face the uncomfortable, quiet mirror of your own history—realizing that you, too, are capable of holding the axe, and that you have sometimes walked away from the damage you caused because it was simply easier for you to forget... this story is a gentle, brave invitation. It’s an invitation to step out of defense, step into the grove, and embrace a deeper, more courageous kind of accountability.

So, before the dust of the road rises, let’s take one deep, grounding, collective breath together.

Inhale the cool, clean air... let it fill your chest, widening your ribs... and exhale fully, letting your shoulders drop away from your ears. Let the earth support your weight.

Now, if it is safe to do so, close your eyes. Let’s travel together across the miles and across the years, to a land of golden dust, dry grass, and whispering red leaves.

This is “The Rings of the Msasa.”

Welcome back to Wednesday’s Chat Room—our weekly, mid-week sanctuary where we gather to take the quiet, solitary reflections from Sunday’s Mental Health Check-In and bring them into a warm, shared circle.

If you look closely at our chat room graphic above, you can feel the exact atmosphere we are trying to cultivate today. We’ve gathered in our favorite cozy, gothic study—a safe, timeless space surrounded by towering bookshelves of ancient wisdom, gentle stone gargoyles keeping watch over the doorways, the soft, flickering glow of candlelight, and a grand clock ticking softly in the background to remind us that we are allowed to operate outside of the world’s frantic pace.

Look at the table we’ve set for you. Whether you are holding a hot, steaming coffee like our wise elder statesman on the left, prepared to speak truth into the vintage microphone, typing out your thoughts on your laptop, or simply gazing into our glowing “chat” crystal ball to read the beautiful, vulnerable words of the community—you have a dedicated, permanent seat at this table. You do not need to earn your place here, and you do not need to wear a mask.

This week, we are opening the floor to talk about a concept that struck a deeply resonant chord with so many of you this past Sunday:

“The axe forgets, but the tree remembers.”

Why We’re Gathering Today: From Solitude to the Grove

On Sunday, we explored the painful, unequal asymmetry of relational trauma—how the “axes” in our lives can carelessly strike us, wipe themselves clean, and easily move on to the next task, completely forgetting the damage they left behind. Meanwhile, we, as the “trees,” are left to absorb the shockwave, biologically and emotionally altering our entire structure to compartmentalize the gash and continue growing around it.

We discussed the science of tree healing, the somatic reality of carrying scars, and the toxic, societal pressure to “forgive and forget” before our nervous systems have even registered actual physical or emotional safety.

Sunday’s check-in was designed for quiet, deeply personal introspection. It was a space to look inward, recognize your own growth rings, and hold tender space for your private wounds.

But Wednesday? Wednesday is for the grove.

In nature, a tree that stands entirely alone on a barren hill is highly vulnerable. When the heavy storm winds howl, a lone tree must bear the entire force of the gale on its own trunk; if its roots aren’t incredibly deep, or if its wood is weakened by an old axe scar, it risks being snapped in half.

But in a dense forest, trees stand in a supportive grove. Their branches interlock to break the wind. Beneath the soil, their roots wrap around one another in a tight, unbreakable embrace. And most beautifully, they are connected by a massive, underground mycelial network—a living system of fungal threads that allows them to share nutrients, send warning signals, and literally pump life support to the trees in the forest that are wounded, weak, or struggling.

That is what this Chat Room is. It is our underground mycelial network activating mid-week. When the emotional winds of life get too loud, we gather here to share the weight of our trunks, lean on one another’s deep roots, and remind ourselves that we do not have to stand tall all by ourselves. Sharing our stories isn’t about wallowing; it is about witnessing. When we witness each other’s scars, we take away the shame of the wound.

💬 Today’s Live Chat Prompts

The Substack Chat Room is officially open, the candles are lit, and our digital crystal ball is glowing with anticipation! We want to hear your voice, your story, and your perspective.

When you jump into the thread today, don’t worry about sounding perfectly polished. Just speak from the heart. Feel free to answer one, two, or all of these prompts:

1. The Anatomy of Your Scar 🪵

In Sunday’s newsletter, we talked about how trees “compartmentalize” their wounds—walling off the decay so they can keep growing around it.

* If your current emotional or relational healing journey had a physical shape, what would it look like right now? * Are you in the active, tender stage of trying to wall off a fresh blow? Or are you looking back at an old, gnarled scar, realizing with quiet pride just how many beautiful, strong rings of new wood you’ve managed to grow around it?

2. Challenging the “Forgive and Forget” Narrative 🚫

We’ve all experienced the frustration of being rushed to heal. Whether it’s a family member wanting to “sweep things under the rug” at Sunday dinner, a friend telling you to “just move on,” or your own inner critic demanding that you stop being so sensitive.

* How have you protected your boundaries when others have tried to rush your healing timeline? * What does it look like for you to honor your nervous system’s need for time, space, and safety before you offer reconciliation?

3. Activating Your Mycelial Network 🌲

No tree survives the winter alone. We need our grove.

* Who or what makes up your underground support network? Is it a therapist, a trusted friend, a creative outlet, a pet, or a community space like this one? * How do you practice giving and receiving mutual support when the storm winds of life start blowing a little too hard?

🛡️ Creating a Safe Forest: A Note on Vulnerability

If you are reading this and feeling a little bit of anxiety about sharing your story, please take a deep breath and know that you are not alone in that feeling. Sharing our wounds is terrifying. We often worry that our struggles aren’t “bad enough” to talk about, or that we will burden others with our pain.

But we want to remind you of a simple truth: every ring of growth matters. Your story might be the exact lifeline another member of our community needs to read today to realize they aren’t crazy, they aren’t oversensitive, and they aren’t alone.

Our chat room is a strictly “no-axe” zone. We protect this space fiercely. There is no judgment here, no unsolicited advice-giving, and no minimization of your lived experience. We are here simply to bear witness, to say “I see you,” and to stand together in the quiet sanctuary of the grove.

🚀 How to Step into the Room

Joining the conversation is incredibly simple. Let’s make this mid-week check-in a restorative, life-giving habit for your mental health:

* Open the Substack App on your phone (or log in on your desktop at substack.com).

* Tap the Chat icon in the bottom navigation bar (it looks like two overlapping speech bubbles).

* Find and select the Akua Projects’ Podcast Magazine channel.

* Jump directly into the Wednesday’s Chat Room thread, drop a friendly hello, and share whatever is on your heart today.

The table is set, the elder has poured the coffee, the laptops are open, and the candles are burning bright. We have saved a seat just for you, and we cannot wait to sit with you.

See you in the chat!

With love, deep roots, and mycelial magic, The Akua Projects Team 🤍

The Akua Projects' Podcast Magazine is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Thanks for reading The Akua Projects' Podcast Magazine! This post is public so feel free to share it.

“Never work just for money or for power. They won’t save your soul or help you sleep at night.” > — Marian Wright Edelman

The Reflection

Welcome back to the Short Story Corner & Wisdom Archives. Today, we are opening up the vault and traveling back to July 8, 2021. Five years ago, we highlighted a heavy-hitting truth from activist and children’s advocate Marian Wright Edelman. Looking at it today, in a world that constantly tells us to hustle harder, grind longer, and chase the next rung on the ladder, her words hit even closer to the bone.

“Never work just for money or for power. They won’t save your soul or help you sleep at night.”

Let’s be real for a second—we all have bills to pay. There is no shame in wanting financial security or the agency that comes with professional success. But Edelman isn’t talking about survival; she’s talking about intent. She’s warning us about the trap of making money and power our sole North Star.

When you strip away the titles, the accolades, and the bank accounts, what are you left with when the lights go out?

The Deep Dive: What Keeps You Awake?

Think about the last time you had a sleepless night. Was it because your bank account didn’t hit a specific metric, or was it because of a heavier, internal weight? Usually, tossing and turning comes from a misalignment of the spirit—worrying about a loved one, feeling a lack of purpose, or knowing that the work you spent all day doing didn’t actually feed your soul.

Money can buy a luxury mattress, but it has never bought peace of mind. Power can control a room, but it can’t quiet a restless conscience.

When we revisit this quote from 2021, we have to ask ourselves: What has changed in how we define success over the last few years? Hopefully, we’ve learned to weave a bit more intention into our daily threads. True wealth is found in the richness of our relationships, the art we bring into the world, the wisdom we pass down, and the quiet comfort of a clean heart at the end of the day.

Unpacking the Wisdom

* The Illusion of Security: Money and power offer a fragile armor. They shield us from certain systemic discomforts, but they are utterly useless against existential dread or spiritual emptiness.

* The Soul’s Currency: Purpose, creativity, and community are the true currencies of a life well-lived. When you invest your labor into things that lift others up or express your authentic truth, your soul reaps the dividends.

* The Sleep Test: If your daily grind requires you to compromise your peace, your ethics, or your joy, the price of admission is simply too high.

Over to You

As you navigate your week, take a look at where you are directing your energy. Are you building a life that looks good on paper, or one that actually feels good to live in? Let Edelman’s words be a gentle course correction if you’ve strayed too far into the hustle. Work for impact, work for expression, work for the love of the craft—and let the rest follow.

What does a “wealthy soul” look like to you in 2026? Drop your thoughts in the comments below, or voice your reflections in our Sunday Mental Health Check-In community space. Until next time, keep weaving your unique thread, protect your peace, and rest easy tonight.

The Akua Projects' Podcast Magazine is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Thanks for reading The Akua Projects' Podcast Magazine! This post is public so feel free to share it.

Grab your favorite cozy drink, pull up a comfortable, overstuffed chair, and let’s take a beautiful, unhurried stroll down memory lane.

If you’ve been following our cover art lately, you might have spotted our signature claymation-style explorer wandering through those gorgeous, lantern-lit cobblestone streets. There’s something so quiet, nostalgic, and deeply peaceful about that scene. It feels like a world operating at a gentler tempo—the kind of place where the frantic, high-frequency noise of modern life simply drifts away, leaving plenty of room for real, uninterrupted, soul-to-soul connection.

And that imagery brings us perfectly to today’s revisit.

Lately, we’ve been diving back into our podcast archives to pull out some of the most unique, deeply human stories from our My Favorite Dates series. Today, we are highlighting a wonderfully personal, quiet submission that completely stole our hearts when it first aired. It is centered around a concept that many of us experience without ever knowing there was a formal word for it: Acousticophilia.

What Exactly is Acousticophilia?

To break it down, acousticophilia (derived from the Greek words for “sound” and “love” or “affinity”) is the love of sounds. In interpersonal relationships, it refers to finding deep comfort, emotional intimacy, safety, and even attraction in the unique qualities of the human voice.

Think of it as an “auditory fingerprint.” Just as no two people look exactly alike, no two voices carry the same warmth, cadence, depth, or vibration.

In a world that has become hyper-visual—where dating apps encourage us to make split-second, swipe-left or swipe-right decisions based on highly curated, filtered photos—our contributor’s submission serves as a beautiful reminder of a different, more ancient pathway to human connection.

Rakia Ari wrote:

“This is a more personal submission. My favorite type of intimacy during a date is listening. I especially love listening to someone read aloud. The right voice can say the ABC’s and keep my attention, lol.”

Let’s be honest: how incredibly sweet, grounding, and deeply relatable is that? In a sea of noisy bar dates and endless small talk, there is something profoundly magnetic about simply sitting back and letting someone’s voice wash over you.

The Science Behind Why We Fall for Voices

It turns out our contributor is onto something backed by evolutionary biology and neuroscience. Our brains are hardwired to respond to vocal cues on a deeply emotional level.

* The Direct Route to the Heart: Unlike visual processing, which goes through several complex analytical stages in the brain, auditory input—especially the human voice—has a direct, lightning-fast pathway to the amygdala and the limbic system. This is the oldest, most instinctual part of our brain, responsible for processing emotions, memory, and survival instincts. This is why a sudden, harsh voice can trigger instant anxiety, while a soft, melodious tone can immediately lower your heart rate.

* The Oxytocin Effect: When we listen to a soothing, familiar, or attractive voice, our brains release oxytocin—often called the “bonding hormone” or the “cuddle chemical.” This hormone promotes feelings of trust, security, and psychological safety.

* Paralanguage is the Real Language: We often focus so much on what we say, but human connection thrives on how we say it. Linguists call this “paralanguage”—the pitch, timber, speed, breathiness, and volume of our speech. When someone reads aloud to you, you aren’t just processing the plot of a story; you are bathing in their paralanguage. You are discovering their pauses, the subtle way their pitch rises when they are excited, and the quiet, raspy texture of their voice when they are relaxed.

The Intimacy of the Read-Aloud Date

Shared reading is a practice that dates back to the very dawn of human civilization, long before printed pages existed, when our ancestors gathered around fires to pass down oral histories. Yet, as adults, we rarely experience it. For most of us, the last time someone sat down, opened a book, and read to us was in early childhood. Because of this, being read to carries a powerful, comforting psychological association with safety, care, and absolute sanctuary.

Bringing that element into adult dating is a complete game-changer. Here is why a “listening date” can foster a depth of connection that dinner and a movie simply cannot touch:

1. It Demands Radical Presence

In our digital age, attention is the rarest currency. When you are sitting across from someone who is actively reading to you, the temptation to scroll through your phone, check notifications, or mentally plan your next sentence vanishes. You are forced to slow down your breathing, tune your senses, and truly exist in the exact same micro-moment. It turns out that listening is not a passive act; it is an active, generous gift of presence.

2. The Power of Vulnerability and Imperfection

Reading aloud can feel surprisingly intimidating. It requires putting your vocal instrument on display. When your date stumbles over a tricky word, pauses to laugh at a goofy sentence, or attempts a terrible, dramatic accent for a character, they are showing you their unpolished, genuine self. These tiny, unscripted moments of vulnerability are precisely where the genuine sparks of attraction are born.

3. An Antidote to “Interview-Style” Dating Fatigue

We’ve all been on those first or second dates that feel more like a job interview than a romantic encounter. What do you do for work? Where do you see yourself in five years? How many siblings do you have? An acoustic-focused date completely bypasses this script. By focusing on a shared piece of text, you naturally segue into talking about abstract ideas, philosophical questions, or emotional reactions. It gives you a structured, low-pressure window into how your partner thinks, feels, and views the world.

How to Curate Your Own Acoustic Date Night

If you want to weave some of these cozy, acousticophilia-inspired vibes into your next date night, you don’t need a grand gesture. You just need a quiet space and a willingness to listen. Here are four highly curated, sensory-rich ideas to get you started:

* The Dusty Bookshop Treasure Hunt: Head to a local independent or used bookstore together. Give yourselves twenty minutes to search the shelves independently. Your mission? Find a book that contains a passage, a poem, or even a bizarre paragraph that reminds you of each other, or simply something you find beautiful. Find a quiet, sunlit corner or head to a nearby coffee shop, and take turns reading your discoveries aloud.

* The Backyard Audio-Sanctuary: On a clear, warm evening, lay out a thick blanket in your backyard, patio, or living room floor. Surround yourselves with pillows, light a few candles, and queue up a beautifully narrated audiobook (think lush fantasy, historical fiction, or descriptive nature essays). Lie side-by-side, close your eyes, and let the narrator build a world in your minds simultaneously.

* The Letters & Lore Exchange: This is for couples looking to deepen an established connection. Write down a short, favorite memory from your childhood, a letter to your younger self, or a description of a place that made you feel safe growing up. Sit close together in a softly lit room and read your stories to one another. Hearing the vulnerability in your partner’s voice as they describe their history is an incredibly moving experience.

* The Culinary Soundscape: Turn dinner prep into an acoustic experience. While one partner is busy chopping, stirring, and tasting, the other partner’s job is to sit nearby and read aloud from sensory-rich food essays (like the timeless writings of M.F.K. Fisher), a beautifully descriptive travel blog, or even a dramatic, historic recipe. It turns the kitchen into a lively, multi-sensory theater of sound, smell, and taste.

Over to You!

The My Favorite Dates series has always been about celebrating the quiet, unconventional, and profoundly simple ways we find love. Acousticophilia reminds us that in a world constantly shouting for our visual attention, sometimes the most romantic thing we can do is simply quiet down, close our eyes, and listen.

We want to hear from our wonderful community: What does your perfect vocal date sound like? Do you have a favorite book, poem, or story you’ve always dreamed of someone reading to you? Whose voice holds a special place in your heart? Let us know in the comments below, or better yet, call into our podcast reader line and leave us a voice message to share your story with us. Until next time, keep exploring, keep connecting, and don’t forget to listen closely to the whispers along the way.

Written by the Editorial Team at The Akua Projects

The Akua Projects' Podcast Magazine is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Thanks for reading The Akua Projects' Podcast Magazine! This post is public so feel free to share it.

Hey there, family. Welcome to this week’s preview of Sunday’s Mental Health Check-In on the Akua Projects Podcast. I’m so grateful you’ve joined us for a few quiet moments today.

Whatever your week looked like, right here, you don’t have to perform. You just get to be. Let’s take a collective, grounding breath.

Inhale peace... fill your lungs completely... and as you slowly exhale, release any tension in your shoulders. Let it all drop. You are here, and you are safe.

On today’s full episode, we are exploring a profound Shona proverb from Southern Africa and Madagascar:

“The axe forgets, but the tree remembers.”

Have you ever been the “tree” in that equation? Carrying a deep, invisible scar while the person who caused it easily walked away, completely oblivious?

That is the painful asymmetry of hurt. The “axe” strikes and moves on untouched, but the rooted tree has no choice but to carry that impact forever.

In our full conversation, we dive into the science of how trees survive trauma. They don’t erase their gashes; instead, they build rigid, protective walls around the damage and continue growing around it. The scar is preserved, yet the tree still grows tall and reaches for the sun.

We’ll discuss how to apply this biological wisdom to our lives—deconstructing the toxic pressure to “forgive and forget,” and learning how to build our own protective boundaries, even when we never get the apology we deserve.

If you’re ready to honor your scars and heal on your own timeline, this episode is for you.

Listen to the full conversation on the Akua Projects App or by subscribing to our premium feed. Just tap the link in our bio to unlock the episode, join our community circle, and download your weekly journal prompts.

You are rooted, you are strong, and you have every right to protect your peace. We’ll see you in the forest.

Drop a 🌻 in the comments if you’re tuning in today!

The Akua Projects' Podcast Magazine is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Thanks for reading The Akua Projects' Podcast Magazine! This post is public so feel free to share it.

Welcome to another episode of Soundtracks of Wisdom. This is the space where we pull from the crates of life, blending the rhythm of our shared experiences with the timeless melodies of our ancestors. Whether you’re tuning in from your morning commute, unwinding in your living room, or just needing a moment of peace, I’m so glad you’ve joined us in this sonic sanctuary.

Welcome to this week’s edition of Page to Panel, the visual companion to The Akua Projects’ Podcast. In this space, we bridge the ancient art of the oral tradition with the modern dynamism of graphic storytelling. This week, we are moving beyond the spoken word to explore the profound, multi-dimensional impact of maternal love. Through the lens of four traditional African proverbs, our latest panels illustrate how a mother’s influence is not a static memory, but a living, breathing force that shapes communities, restores empty homes, and fuels the growth of future generations.

We recently came across a quote that stopped us in our tracks:

“When a mother dies, the house becomes a shell, but her spirit is the wind that fills it.”

It’s one of those sentiments that hits you right in the chest, isn’t it? For those of us who have lost our mothers, or mother-figures, this resonates on a cellular level. It perfectly captures that strange, echoing duality of grief and enduring presence. It articulates the deeply unsettling transition from a space defined by a living, breathing person to a space defined by their memory.

Let’s unpack that today.

The Shell: Navigating the Physical Absence

First, we have to acknowledge the shell. When a mother passes, the physical reality of the home shifts fundamentally. The house—whether it’s the home you grew up in or the home you built together—suddenly feels entirely different. The very architecture seems to contract around the space she used to occupy.

It’s the quiet in the kitchen where there used to be bustling energy, the missing hum of her favorite radio station, or the sudden absence of the particular way she used to chop vegetables. It’s the empty chair in the living room that somehow feels heavier than when she was sitting in it. It’s the stark realization that the phone isn’t going to ring with her voice on the other end, checking in just to say hello or to offer a piece of unsolicited, yet deeply missed, advice.

The house, stripped of her physical being, can feel hollow. The walls that once held her laughter now seem to only reflect your own silence. It is a shell. And walking through those echoing rooms is a heavy, necessary part of the grieving process. It’s okay to acknowledge the emptiness; it’s okay to feel the profound weight of her physical absence. It’s crucial to allow yourself to mourn the loss of the tangible—the hugs, the shared meals, the simple comfort of knowing she was just in the next room. Recognizing the shell is the first step in learning how to live within it.

The Wind: Recognizing the Invisible Force

But here is where the magic—and the comfort—lies: her spirit is the wind that fills it.

Mothers have a way of leaving an indelible imprint on the spaces they occupy, and more importantly, on the people they love. Their influence is woven into the very fabric of our lives. That presence doesn’t evaporate when they leave this physical plane. It transforms. It shifts from something you can touch to something you can only feel.

She becomes an invisible, but deeply felt, force. She becomes the atmosphere of your life.

How does that “wind” show up for you? It’s rarely a grand, supernatural event. Usually, it’s found in the quiet, everyday moments.

* It’s in the habits and traditions: Maybe it’s the way you fold the towels exactly how she taught you, the secret ingredient you always add to her famous soup recipe, or the insistence on a particular brand of tea. These aren’t just habits; they are living memorials.

* It’s in the senses: A sudden whiff of her favorite perfume in an elevator, the smell of rain that she always loved, or hearing a song on the radio that you used to sing together in the car. These sensory triggers can bring her back with breathtaking clarity.

* It’s in the intuition and inner voice: That quiet voice in your head guiding you to make a decision, sounding suspiciously like her best advice. It’s the sudden burst of confidence when you face a challenge, knowing exactly what she would say to encourage you. She becomes your internal compass.

* It’s in the love and legacy: The fierce way you protect your own children, or the compassion you show to a friend, mirroring the love she gave you. When you love the way she loved, you are quite literally keeping her spirit alive. You become the vessel for her continued impact on the world.

Embracing the Drafts

Grief is unpredictable. It doesn’t follow a neat timeline or a logical path. Sometimes that wind is a gentle, comforting breeze that makes you smile at a memory. It’s a warm feeling of being watched over.

Other times, it’s a sudden, sharp gust that knocks the breath out of you when a wave of sadness hits unexpectedly—perhaps triggered by a milestone she isn’t there to celebrate, or a simple Tuesday afternoon when you just really need to talk to her. These gusts are painful, but they are also testaments to the depth of your love.

The key is recognizing that the house isn’t empty. It may look different, it may sound different, but it is filled with the legacy of her love, her teachings, and her energy. Every lesson she imparted, every joke she shared, every comfort she provided—these are the elements that fill the shell.

She is the invisible architecture holding up the walls of your emotional home. She is the foundation upon which you continue to build your life.

Let’s Chat

We want to hear from you. This community is a safe space to share, to remember, and to honor the women who shaped us.

* How do you feel your mother’s (or a loved one’s) presence in your life now? What are the specific, tangible ways she shows up for you?

* What are the “drafts” of her spirit that fill your shell? Are they comforting breezes or sudden gusts?

Drop your thoughts in the comments below, or send us a message. We’re holding space for all the stories—the sad ones, the funny ones, the mundane ones, and the beautiful ones. Let’s create a mosaic of memories together.

Until next time, keep your windows open to the wind.

Catch up on our latest podcast episodes at The Akua Projects, and join us every Wednesday for more Chat Room Deep Dives.

The Akua Projects' Podcast Magazine is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Thanks for reading The Akua Projects' Podcast Magazine! This post is public so feel free to share it.

“A mother’s grave is like a marketplace; it is never truly empty of those seeking her.” 🛍️

At first glance, equating a resting place to a marketplace might seem unconventional. We typically associate graves with quiet stillness, finality, and solitude. A marketplace, on the other hand, is a vibrant hub of life, noise, exchange, and nourishment. But when we unpack the profound truth within this metaphor, it perfectly captures the enduring, active nature of a mother’s love and legacy.

Let’s dive into why we constantly return to her memory, and what we are “shopping” for when we do.

The Currency of Connection

When a mother transitions, her physical presence leaves us, but the space she occupied in our lives doesn’t simply empty out. Instead, it transforms into an emotional and spiritual marketplace. It becomes an active, bustling center where her loved ones continually return to draw from the infinite inventory of her memory.

Just like a market provides the essential sustenance a community needs to survive, a mother’s memory provides the emotional sustenance we need to navigate life without her. We bring our raw, unfiltered experiences to this space, and in exchange, we leave with a piece of her enduring spirit.

What Are We Seeking?

When we visit this marketplace of memory, our baskets are empty, waiting to be filled with the intangibles only she could provide:

* Comfort for the Weary: On days when the world feels too sharp or unforgiving, we return to the memory of her voice or the phantom warmth of her embrace. We seek the unconditional safety that was exclusively hers to give.

* Guidance for the Lost: “What would Mom do?” This is perhaps the most frequent transaction in the marketplace. We navigate difficult parenting moments, career choices, and relationship struggles by filtering our options through her wisdom and moral compass.

* Validation for the Triumphs: The marketplace isn’t just for sorrow. When we achieve a milestone, get a promotion, or watch our own children succeed, we return to her memory seeking that familiar, beaming pride.

* The Blueprint of Tradition: We seek her in the kitchen when we try to replicate the exact smell of her Sunday dinners. We seek her during the holidays to ensure her rituals are kept alive.

Echoes from the Chat Room

Earlier this week, we asked our Akua Projects community what they “seek” when they return to their mother’s memory. Here is what some of you had to share in the threads:

@SoulfulJourney: “I visit her ‘marketplace’ every time I plant my spring garden. I’m always looking for her patience. She could make anything bloom, and when my hands are in the dirt, I feel like she’s right there guiding my trowel.”

@Marcus_Writes: “I go looking for her courage. She raised three of us on her own. Whenever I feel like I can’t handle the pressure of my job, I just tap into her memory. It’s like a limitless supply of resilience.”

@Elena_V: “For me, it’s her recipes. Cooking her Arroz con Pollo is my way of going to the market. I measure the spices with my heart, just like she did, and for an hour, the kitchen is full of her again.”

A Marketplace That Never Closes

The beauty of this proverb is the reassurance that a mother’s love is not a finite resource that runs out the moment she departs. It is an ongoing, dynamic exchange.

If you find yourself constantly returning to her memory—whether it has been two months or twenty years—know that this is not a sign of being “stuck” in your grief. It is a sign that she built a legacy rich enough to sustain you for a lifetime.

The marketplace is never truly empty because the need for a mother’s love never truly fades. So, keep visiting. Keep asking her questions in the quiet moments of your day. Keep seeking her comfort, her recipes, and her guidance. The stalls are always open, and she is always ready to provide.

Until next Wednesday, keep diving deep.

The marketplace is always open. I hope today’s deep dive brought you a sense of comfort, or perhaps a new way to look at how you carry the legacy of the maternal figures in your own life.

I’d love to hear what you are ‘shopping’ for when you visit your own marketplace of memory. Let’s keep this conversation going. Head over to rakiaari.substack.com to drop your thoughts in the comments of today’s newsletter.

Before we part ways, just a quick reminder for our community: if you haven’t checked it out yet, my new short story, The Weaver’s Single Thread, is waiting for you in our Friday Short Story Corner. And for those who have been asking, the audiobook for When Memories Become Nightmares is officially arriving this month, so keep your ears open for that!

Thank you, as always, for your time, your energy, and your open hearts. Until next time, remember to breathe deep, honor your roots, and keep seeking the wisdom all around you. Be well.

The Akua Projects' Podcast Magazine is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Thanks for reading The Akua Projects' Podcast Magazine! This post is public so feel free to share it.

“A mother is like a kernel; even when the fruit is gone, the seed remains to grow again.”

In our community, we talk a lot about roots and resilience. This African proverb takes that conversation a step further into the realm of Legacy. It tells us that a mother’s influence isn’t just about the “fruit”—the immediate beauty, the care, the visible presence—but about the “seed” she leaves within us.

The Fruit vs. The Seed: Understanding the Transition

Think about a piece of fruit in its prime. It’s sweet, it’s nourishing, and it’s right there in front of you, providing immediate sustenance. In the context of our lives, this represents the season of active mothering. It is the era of daily check-ins, the warm meals, the unsolicited but often necessary advice, and the physical security of her presence. It is a season of abundance where the “fruit” is the primary source of our emotional vitamins.

But as the natural world teaches us, seasons must change. The fruit eventually goes—whether through the natural distancing of adulthood, the fading of memory, or the finality of loss. When that happens, the landscape of our lives can feel barren. We look for the sweetness we once relied on and find it missing.

However, the kernel—that hard, protective shell at the center—is built to last. It is the most durable part of the plant, designed to survive the harshest winters and the most desolate droughts. Inside that kernel is the blueprint for an entire future forest. While the fruit was meant to feed you for a day, the kernel was meant to define your lifetime.

The Blueprint Within: More Than Just DNA

When we lose a mother or a mother-figure, or as we grow older and more independent, we might feel like the “fruit” has vanished. But this proverb reminds us that we are the seed. Everything she poured into us—her values, her laughter, her strength, her quiet prayers—is tucked safely inside our own kernels, waiting for the right soil to grow again.

This legacy is a complex “living continuation.” It isn’t just about biological children; it’s about anyone a mother-figure has nurtured—the aunties, the grandmothers, and the community leaders who stood in the gap. We see this growth in the most unexpected moments:

* In the Echo of Voice: When you find yourself using a specific phrase, a joke, or even a tone of correction she always used, you realize her linguistic DNA has become yours. The seed is growing.

* In Emotional Fortitude: When you face a hardship—a job loss, a broken heart, or a personal failure—and you meet it with the same quiet, unshakable dignity she showed during her own trials. You aren’t just “acting” like her; you are accessing the resilience she stored in your kernel. The seed is growing.

* In the Cycle of Nurturing: When you find yourself pouring into your own children, your mentees, or your creative community projects with that same fierce, protective love that once shielded you. The seed is growing.

* In the Kitchen and the Home: When the smell of a certain spice or the way you fold a blanket mirrors her touch, you are physically manifesting a history that refuses to be forgotten.

The Mental Health Implications: Tending the Garden

In our mental health journey, acknowledging this legacy can be a powerful tool for healing, but it also requires discernment. Legacy is not always a straight line of sunshine. Sometimes we carry “seeds” we didn’t ask for—patterns of anxiety, unspoken traumas, or survival mechanisms that no longer serve us in a time of peace.

Part of our “Deep Dive” is learning how to distinguish between the kernel of strength and the husk of old burdens. To be a “living continuation” is also to have the agency to decide which parts of the seed we will water. We honor our mothers most when we take the best of their “seed” and provide it with the healthy soil—the therapy, the community, and the self-care—that they might not have had access to themselves.

Let’s Dive Deeper in the Chat Room

We are moving from the “What” to the “How.” How do we live out this proverb in a way that honors our past while protecting our future?

We want to hear from you in the Substack Chat Room:

* Identify the Seed: What is one specific “seed” (a trait, a habit, a culinary secret, or a moral value) that your mother or a mother-figure planted in you that you see blooming in your life today?

* The Evolution of Resilience: How does the idea of being a “living continuation” change how you view your own mental health? Does it make you feel more connected to a source of strength, or does it challenge you to break certain cycles?

* The Future Forest: If you are a mother or a mentor, what is the specific “kernel” you are consciously trying to prepare for the next generation?

Bring your thoughts, your experiences, and your open hearts. Let’s talk about the forest we are building together.

🌱 See you in the Chat Room!The Akua Projects Team

The Opening Reflection

Welcome back to the Chat Room, everyone. After our Sunday check-in, many of us were sitting with the weight of transition and the people who have shaped us. Today, we are diving into a beautiful African proverb that reframes how we look at loss and legacy.

When we lose someone—a mother, a mentor, a dear friend—it feels like the sun has dipped below the horizon, leaving us in the dark. But the earth doesn’t go cold the second the light fades. If you’ve ever walked barefoot on stones at dusk, you know they hold onto that golden heat for hours.

That is the “warmth” of love and lessons. It persists. It stays in the way we handle a crisis, the way we season our food, or the quiet strength we find when we think we have nothing left.

The Deep Dive Conversation

The Akua Team: > “Think about the person who was ‘the sun’ in your life. Their physical presence may have set, but in what ways is your ‘earth’ still warm today? Is it a specific piece of advice? A way of looking at the world?”

Community Voice 1: > “For me, it’s the way I talk to myself when I mess up. My grandmother’s voice is the warmth. She’s been gone for years, but her grace is still heating up my internal dialogue.”

Community Voice 2: > “I see it in the traditions. We carry the light forward by doing the things they loved. It’s like the sun never truly left because the atmosphere they created is still here.”

Bringing it Home: Mental Health Check-In

Grief often focuses on the sunset—the ending. But the proverb asks us to focus on the thermal energy left behind. For our mental health, acknowledging that “lingering warmth” can be a powerful tool for healing. It reminds us that we aren’t just left in the dark; we are walking on a foundation that was warmed specifically for us.

Today’s Journal Prompt:

* Identify one “warmth” (a lesson or trait) you inherited from someone no longer present.

* How can you share that warmth with someone else today so the cycle continues?

💬 Join the Chat

How are you feeling the “warmth” today? Drop your thoughts, your experiences, and your open hearts in the comments below. Let’s keep the conversation going.

The Akua Projects' Podcast Magazine is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Thanks for reading The Akua Projects' Podcast Magazine! This post is public so feel free to share it.

There is something profoundly intimate about the way we build our lives. Like the sculpted clay of a stop-motion set, our journey is often a series of small, deliberate movements—molding our intentions, smoothing out the rough edges, and sometimes, tearing it all down to start over.

Welcome to this week’s edition of The Akua Projects’ Podcast Magazine. Today, we are stepping through the archway of the “Quote of the Day Revisited.” We’re looking back at a piece of wisdom from Oprah Winfrey that challenges the very foundation of how we see ourselves. It isn’t just about success or visibility; it’s about the internal evidence we gather when nobody is watching.

Solitude of Guadeloupe (c. 1772 – 1802), often known as La Mulâtresse Solitude, is a legendary historical figure and a national hero in Guadeloupe. She is celebrated as a symbol of fierce resistance against the re-imposition of slavery by Napoleon Bonaparte.

Early Life and Origins

While many details of her life are draped in legend, historical accounts (n…

“A mother is like a kernel; even when the fruit is gone, the seed remains to grow again.”

Happy Sunday, Akua family.

Take a deep breath. Let it out slowly. Feel the air fill your lungs and notice the ground beneath your feet. Today, as we lean into our weekly mental health check-in, we’re reflecting on a proverb that feels like a warm embrace and a profound responsibility all at once.

In the rush of our modern lives—where success is often measured by speed, visibility, and immediate output—we frequently view “legacy” as something massive and static: buildings named after people, monumental statues, or vast fortunes left behind. But this African proverb gently pulls us away from the cold concrete and back to the earth, to the rich soil, and to the quiet, indestructible power of the kernel. It reminds us that the most significant things we leave behind are often invisible to the naked eye, tucked away in the hearts of those who come after us.

In many modern societies, Mother’s Day has evolved into a commercial flurry—a frantic weekend of last-minute bouquets, scripted greeting cards, and brunch reservations. But if we look toward the Horn of Africa, we find a tradition called Antrosht. It is not a day, but a season; not a transaction, but a transformation. This festival is deeply synchronized with the 🌦️ seasonal cycles of the Ethiopian calendar—specifically arriving as the Kiremt, or heavy rains, begin to break. As the yellow Meskel daisies start to carpet the hillsides, it signals a time of renewal, transition, and the literal softening of the earth.

But Antrosht isn’t just a date marked on a calendar; it’s a three-day physical manifestation of gratitude that bridges the gap between the domestic sphere and the natural world.

Imagine a festival where the family doesn’t just “give” a gift to the mother, but instead, they mobilize as a collective to physically recreate the “sustenance” she provides for them every other day of the year. During these three days, the traditional hierarchy shifts. It is a story of family structure meeting the soil, where the labor of the home is laid bare and shared by all.

At the heart of this three-day journey is the preparation of the “communal hash”—a rich, complex, and aromatic meat and vegetable dish served atop the iconic, tangy sourdough injera. This is not merely a meal to satisfy hunger; it is a 🤝 collective masterpiece of social engineering.

In the Antrosht tradition, the “hash” is a puzzle where every family member holds a piece. There is a sacred assignment of roles: the daughters might be tasked with the delicate blending of the berbere spices; the sons may provide the primary protein; the father is often responsible for the harvest of the vegetables. No one person is the sole author of the feast.

As they stand together over the heat, stirring the pot, individual efforts begin to dissolve into a single, steaming, and cohesive reality. The resulting dish is a mirror of the family itself—a reminder that the household, much like the hash, is only as strong as the unity and quality of its individual ingredients. If one person fails to bring their piece, the flavor of the whole is diminished.

As the steam rises from the baso or the communal platter, it carries with it the implications of this tradition: that motherhood is not an isolated burden to be “thanked” once a year, but a central pillar that requires the active, physical support of the entire community to sustain.

Stay with us as we dive deep into the sights, smells, and the ancient soul of Antrosht. We’ll talk to historians and families alike to understand why this “communal hash” remains one of the world’s most powerful symbols of domestic harmony.

This is The Akua Projects.

Exploring Ethiopian Antrosht Festival

Antrosht is a unique celebration that highlights the deep connection between family structure and the seasonal 🌦️ cycles of Ethiopia. Unlike many modern versions of Mother’s Day, it isn’t just about gifts; it’s a three-day festival where the family works together to physically recreate the “sustenance” the mother provides.

The “communal hash” is typically a meat and vegetable dish served with injera (a sourdough flatbread). This meal signifies unity, as every family member contributes a specific ingredient to the pot, turning individual efforts into a collective 🤝 feast.

* The Symbolism of the Feast: Digging into the specific ingredients used and why the division of labor between daughters and sons is so significant to the ritual.

* Agricultural Cycles: Exploring why the end of the rainy season is the chosen time for this festival and how it connects to the harvest 🌾.

* A Global Comparison: Comparing the communal nature of Antrosht to how other cultures celebrate maternal figures.

To understand why the Antrosht feast is structured this way, we can look at how the ingredients and the roles symbolize a family’s survival and unity.

The Symbolic Ingredients

The specific items brought to the table aren’t random; they represent the different “energies” required to sustain a home.

* Vegetables and Spices 🌿: Provided by the daughters. These items represent the garden and the hearth. In traditional Ethiopian rural life, daughters often manage the vegetable plots and the complex process of drying and grinding spices—the “soul” of the flavor.

* Meat 🥩: Provided by the sons. Meat (often a bull or a lamb) represents the result of herding or heavy labor. By bringing the meat, the sons contribute the “strength” of the meal.

The Power of the “Hash”

The ritual reaches its peak when the mother takes these separate contributions and combines them into one large dish.

The family unit functions as a cohesive system where each member provides a unique symbolic and practical contribution to the whole. The sons represent provision and physical strength, traditionally associated with the “meat” of the household’s sustenance and the raw power required to maintain it. In contrast, the daughters contribute through care and cultivation, symbolized by “spices and vegetables,” which add essential flavor, health, and refinement to the family’s life. Finally, the mother acts as the vital catalyst of “the mixing,” embodying unity and transformation; she blends these disparate elements of strength and care together, transforming individual contributions into a harmonious and nourished collective.

By having the sons and daughters bring different components, the ritual demonstrates interdependence. No one person provides the whole meal; the feast only exists because everyone fulfilled their specific duty.

Agricultural Cycles: The End of the Rains

The timing of Antrosht is not accidental. It occurs at the transition from the Kiremt (the heavy rainy season) to the Bega (the dry harvest season), usually around late September or early October.

1. The Blessing of Water

The rainy season in Ethiopia is a period of intense growth but also physical isolation and hardship. As the rains subside, the landscape is lush and green. Antrosht celebrates the survival of the rainy season and the “rebirth” of the land, mirroring the mother’s role in nurturing life through difficult periods.

2. Pre-Harvest Abundance

The festival takes place just as the first crops are ready to be sampled. It serves as a “first fruits” ritual where the family enjoys the literal bounty of their labor before the main harvest begins.

3. Symbolic Sustenance

In Ethiopia, the mother is often viewed as the “central pillar” of the home. By celebrating her at the exact moment the earth is most fertile, the culture draws a direct parallel between the fecundity of the soil and the nurturing power of the mother.

The beauty of Antrosht lies in its physicality—the act of walking through the receding mud to bring ingredients home, the heat of the communal pot, and the shared touch of eating from the same plate. It is a holiday that reminds us that family, like a harvest, requires everyone’s hands to be in the dirt.

A Global Comparison

While many modern celebrations of Mother’s Day have shifted toward a consumer-focused model of gifts and cards, several cultures maintain rituals that, like Ethiopia’s Antrosht, emphasize communal labor, seasonal transitions, and the physical manifestation of family unity.

Here is how the communal nature of Antrosht compares to maternal celebrations across the globe.

1. The UK and Ireland: Mothering Sunday

Long before the modern commercial holiday, Mothering Sunday was a religious and domestic event. Historically, it took place on the fourth Sunday of Lent.

* The Communal Aspect: It was the one day of the year when domestic servants were given leave to return to their “mother church” and their family homes.

* The Physical Sustenance: Much like the ingredients brought for Antrosht, children would bring a Simnel cake—a rich fruit cake topped with almond paste—to their mothers. The “communal” element was the reunion of a scattered workforce back into the family unit for a shared meal.

2. India: Durga Puja

While specifically a festival honoring the Goddess Durga, this celebration serves as a massive cultural tribute to the “Divine Mother” and maternal power.

* The Communal Labor: Unlike the private family feast of Antrosht, Durga Puja is a neighborhood effort. Communities spend months building massive pandals (temporary shrines) and crafting clay idols.

* The “Bhog”: A central feature is the distribution of Bhog—a blessed, communal meal (usually khichdi and vegetables) cooked in massive quantities and served to everyone, regardless of social status, emphasizing the mother figure as the provider for the entire community.

3. Mexico: Día de las Madres

In Mexico, May 10th is one of the most significant holidays of the year, blending religious devotion with intense social celebration.

* The Serenade (Las Mañanitas): The celebration often begins at dawn with a communal serenade. Families or hired mariachis gather outside the mother’s window. This isn’t a private exchange; it is a public, loud, and shared acknowledgment of her role.

* The Multi-Generational Feast: Similar to Antrosht, the celebration is rarely just one mother and her children. It is an “all-hands” event where extended family members gather for a massive feast that can last all day, reinforcing the maternal line across generations.

Across the globe, cultural traditions celebrate the maternal figure through varied acts of service, reunion, and communal devotion. In Ethiopia, the festival of Antrosht focuses on sustenance and harvest, with children bringing raw ingredients to symbolically recreate their mother’s nurturing. European and UK history saw Mothering Sunday as a day of domestic reunion, where servants were granted leave to return home with a symbolic cake and visit their “mother church.” In India, Durga Puja elevates the theme to a grand scale, focusing on divine maternal power as entire neighborhoods collaborate to build shrines and prepare massive communal feasts. Similarly, the Japanese tradition of Haha no Hi emphasizes practical support, historically centering on children assuming all household chores for the day to honor their mother’s labor.

The Common Thread: Seasonal Alignment

The most striking similarity between Antrosht and many ancient maternal festivals is the link to the earth’s fertility. In many indigenous cultures across the Americas and Africa, the “Mother” is celebrated during “First Fruit” ceremonies—when the first crops are harvested. This reinforces the idea that the mother and the earth are dual sources of life that must be replenished through collective effort.

Thanks for reading The Akua Projects' Podcast Magazine! This post is public so feel free to share it.

The Akua Projects' Podcast Magazine is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Greetings, and welcome to our community here on SubStack. I am Rakia Ari, the creator and founder of The Akua Projects'. Our mission is to explore the intersections of history, culture, and the human experience through storytelling that resonates and informs. We believe that by looking backward, we gain the clarity needed to move forward with purpose.

In this edition, we are peeling back the layers of a holiday we all know, yet few truly understand. From ancient rituals to the radical peace activism of the 19th century, this report traces the complex lineage of Mother’s Day. We invite you to read, reflect, and rediscover the powerful women whose legacies paved the way for the world we live in today. Motherhood, as we shall see, has always been a blend of private devotion and public power.

Thank you for being part of this journey.

It takes a lifetime to build a reputation... and only a single syllable to burn it to the ground.

To wrap up our week-long exploration of the Ashanti proverb, “One falsehood spoils a thousand truths,” we are bringing this ancient wisdom to life through a fable.

Meet Kwame, a master weaver whose unshakeable reputation is put to the ultimate test when a royal commission goes wrong. It’s a story about pride, the weight of our choices, and the delicate tapestry of trust.

Get comfortable and read the full story in today’s Friday Short Story Corner. Link in our bio! 👇🏾

The Akua Projects' Podcast Magazine is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Thanks for reading The Akua Projects' Podcast Magazine! This post is public so feel free to share it.

Welcome back to the Akua Projects’ Podcast Magazine’s Substack Chat Room. Pull up a chair, grab your favorite mug of tea or coffee, and get comfortable. Take a second to shake off the mid-week slump, roll your shoulders back, and just breathe.

This is our dedicated space to gather around the metaphorical table, drop our heavy societal armor, and unpack the week together. Wednesday is often the day when our social batteries begin to run low and the masks we wear start to feel the heaviest, which makes it the perfect time to check in with each other.

If you caught this past Sunday’s Mental Health Check-In, you know we started untangling a pretty heavy, deeply universal topic: The Weight of Our Words.

We looked at the powerful Ashanti proverb, “One falsehood spoils a thousand truths,” and shifted the focus inward. Instead of just talking about our public reputations, we talked about the quiet, internal exhaustion of people-pleasing. We explored the invisible, soundproof wall that inauthenticity builds between us and the people we love, making true connection impossible. We also discussed how keeping up a facade—even a well-intentioned one—acts like a battery-draining background app on our minds, quietly keeping our nervous systems on high alert.

Now, we are doing a deeper dive.

As the image for today’s chat says: Bring your thoughts, your experiences, and your open hearts. Healing and unlearning are incredibly difficult to do in a vacuum. When we share our stories, we strip away the shame that thrives in silence. This is a judgment-free zone where we can learn from each other’s journeys, missteps, and victories.

To get the conversation glowing (just like the crystal ball on our table!), jump into the thread below and reply to any of these prompts that speak to your current season:

💬 Today’s Deep Dive Prompts:

* The Heavy Backpack of “Yes”: Where in your life are you currently carrying the heavy backpack of people-pleasing? Are you volunteering for extra tasks at work when you are already burnt out? Are you agreeing to social plans to keep the peace when your spirit is screaming for rest? Let’s talk about why it feels so terrifying to just say “no.”

* The “I’m Fine” Reflex: How often do you use the automatic “I’m fine!” response to mask your true feelings? Do you do this more with your partner, your friends, or your coworkers? We often hide behind this phrase because we don’t want to be a “burden” to others. What do you think would happen if you paused, took a breath, and answered honestly this week?

* The Aftermath of Radical Honesty: Have you recently practiced radical, gentle honesty? Maybe you finally set a difficult boundary with a family member, or you admitted to a friend that you just didn’t have the emotional capacity to hold space for them that day. It is often messy and uncomfortable in the moment. How did you navigate that initial guilt, and how did it feel once the truth was finally out in the open?

* Unlearning the Performance: For many of us, performing and shape-shifting was a survival tactic we learned early in life. What is the hardest part for you about unlearning the urge to perform for others’ approval?

There is absolutely no pressure to have it all figured out, to sound profound, or to have perfectly wrapped-up answers. We are all beautifully, messily human, and we are simply practicing the art of taking off our masks together.

Dive into the chat below, introduce yourself if you’re new to the Substack family, and let’s get into it! 🤎

Note: This is a safe, supportive, and confidential community space. Please practice active listening, be kind, lead with empathy, and remain respectful of everyone’s shared vulnerabilities and lived experiences.

Thanks for reading The Akua Projects' Podcast Magazine! This post is public so feel free to share it.

The Akua Projects' Podcast Magazine is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Welcome to the Sunday Mental Health Check-In, a weekly segment from The Akua Projects’ Podcast Magazine. Here, we intentionally pause the noise of our busy lives to center our minds, draw wisdom from our cultural roots, and prepare our spirits for the week ahead. Grab your favorite warm beverage, get comfortable, and let’s dive in.

Welcome to the latest installment of Soundtracks of Wisdom, a production by The Akua Project. We explore the deep-seated truths found in global proverbs, pairing ancient philosophy with modern rhythm to feed your soul and ground your hustle.

The Feature: Staying Grounded

In this episode, we draw inspiration from a powerful Nigerian proverb: “A man does not wander far from where his corn is roasting.”

In a world full of “glitter” and distractions that can make you lose your true identity, this wisdom serves as a compass. It reminds us that your “fire”—the passion, purpose, and essentials that sustain you—requires your presence. You cannot coast through life; you must stay planted where the heat is to truly grow.

Join us as we break down why keeping your attention on what sustains you is the ultimate key to resilience.

Welcome back to The Akua Projects’ Podcast Magazine.

We’ve made it to the end of the week, which means it’s time to slow down, clear your mind, and settle in for our Friday Short.

There is a unique kind of magic in getting lost in a narrative, and every Friday, we bring that magic directly to your speakers. In these segments, we step away from our regular features to showcase original short stories, written and brought to life in immersive audio form.

So, whether you are unwinding at home, commuting, or just taking a much-needed break, take a deep breath and let your imagination take the wheel.

Let’s dive into today’s story.

Welcome back to The Akua Projects’ Podcast Magazine! Grab your favorite mug, settle into a comfortable spot, and let out that breath you didn’t even realize you were holding. It’s Sunday, which means it is time to pause, reflect, and realign before a new week begins.

### "It feels like we're in a dream tonight..."

**...But what happens when the dream refuses to let you wake up?**

Step onto the moonlit veranda in *A Curse*, a deeply moving entry from the new collection, **When Memories Become Nightmares**.

The air smells of damp earth and night-blooming jasmine. The wicker swing creaks gently on rusted chains. And there he stands—broad-shouldered, solid, and perfectly preserved in the moonlight. But this isn't a reunion. When she reaches out, her fingers pass through him like smoke.

He is not a ghost haunting her; he is a memory that loved her so much it refuses to let her leave. Caught in an agonizing loop of joy and grief, she must endure the heartbreaking reality of smiling at a perfect memory while crying at a waking nightmare.

As our guide reminds us, this is the story of love, loss, and the things that refuse to let us go.

**Experience the Haunting:**

* 📖 **Read it today:** The ebook *When Memories Become Nightmares* is available now on **Lulu.com**.

* 🎧 **Hear the echoes:** The fully immersive audiobook arrives in **May 2026**.

* 🔗 **Ready to step onto the veranda?** Visit the link in the bio to begin.

Setting the Scene

Welcome back, Akua community, to another storytelling session here on The Akua Projects’ Podcast Magazine. I’m your host, Rakia Ari.

All week, we have been sitting with the deep, grounding wisdom of the Yoruba proverb: “One who carries a basket of eggs does not dance.” We have unpacked the meaning, we have chatted about our own boundaries, and we have even set the vibe with our Soundtracks of Wisdom drop. But today, I want to bring this proverb to life in a different way.

Sometimes, the best way to understand a lesson is to see someone else walk through it. So, I have written a short story for us. It is about the delicate balance of creation, the loud, tempting noise of the city, and the quiet discipline it takes to protect what you have spent so much time building.

Find a comfortable spot, take a deep breath, and let’s step into the world of Amara in our story for the week: “The Pearl and the Pavement.”

Happy Sunday, Akua community! Welcome to another Sunday Mental Health Check-In. As we wind down the weekend and prepare to step into a brand new week, it is the perfect time to pause, take a deep breath, and recenter our minds.

Today, we are grounding our reflection in a piece of timeless wisdom from the Yoruba people:

“One who carries a basket of eggs does not dance.”

At first glance, it paints a rather literal (and slightly humorous) picture. Imagine trying to do the Azonto or the Gwara Gwara with a fragile basket of eggs balanced on your head or in your arms. It would be a messy disaster. But when we look beneath the surface, this proverb offers a profound lesson about focus, boundaries, and protecting our mental well-being.

Welcome back to The Akua Projects’ Podcast Magazine. Happy Friday, everyone. You’ve officially made it to the end of the week, and you know what that means—it’s time to settle in, take a deep breath, and join us here in the Friday Short Story Corner.

Today, we are traveling to the meandering bend of a great, sun-drenched river. It’s a place divided into two very different worlds: the bright, chaotic, and loud surface, and the cool, patient, and shadowy depths.

In a culture that constantly tells us to make a splash, to be seen, and to shine as brightly as we can, today’s fable offers a slightly different perspective. It’s a story about youth and age, vanity and wisdom, and the delicate balance of survival.

So, get comfortable, let the current carry you, and listen closely to The Tale of the Silver Tilapia and the Mud Catfish.

“When Memories Become Nightmares” is a dark and evocative exploration of what happens when our past refuses to stay buried. As teased in the recent visual promos, it is fundamentally a story of love, profound loss, and the inescapable things that refuse to let us go.

The narrative delves into the terrifying reality of nostalgia mutating into trauma. It follows a protagonist forced to confront physical manifestations of her past—where the burning remnants of old photographs aren’t just destroyed evidence, but the fuel for something far more sinister. As she wrestles with both literal and figurative demons, the boundary between painful remembrance and active torment completely shatters.

Here is an exclusive glimpse into the darkness with a short reading featuring The Echo Weaver:

An Excerpt: The Echo Weaver

The embers of the photographs danced in the air, glowing with a fierce, unnatural heat, yet the room felt entirely devoid of warmth. Behind her, the atmosphere grew thick, pulling the breath directly from her lungs.

She knew she shouldn’t turn around.

It wasn’t just a trick of the light playing across the open wardrobe; it was the Echo Weaver. It had finally arrived, summoned by the sheer weight of her grief. The creature fed on the frayed edges of her happiest moments, meticulously twisting the preserved laughter into deafening screams and the warmth of old love into suffocating ash. She pressed her hands against her ears and squeezed her eyes shut, a desperate attempt to block it out. But the Weaver didn’t need her eyes to show her the past. It was already inside her head. It just needed her to remember.

Ready to face the past? To dive deeper into the story and confront the shadows yourself, check out the full ebook via the link.

Welcome back to Soundtracks of Wisdom, the official music and mindfulness column of The Akua Projects’ Podcast Magazine. In a digital landscape that constantly demands our immediate reaction, our hottest takes, and our loudest voices, true power often lies in the exact opposite. This week’s featured track, “Architect of the Pause,” is an anthem for the strategic, the patient, and the observant.

With a smooth, methodical hip-hop beat and razor-sharp lyricism, this track isn’t just music; it’s an auditory manifesto on mental fortitude. Let’s break down the wisdom woven into the rhythm.

Welcome back to a very special episode of Friday’s Short Story Corner, right here on The Akua Projects' Podcast Magazine on Substack!

Today, we are excited to bring you an immersive experience that bridges the gap between the written word and visual storytelling. We are diving deep into the suspenseful and atmospheric world of Rakia Ari’s Fireside Thrills Series with our featured story: "The Cabin Getaway."

If that title rings a bell, there is a very good reason! "The Cabin Getaway" served as the creative foundation for the amazing AI-generated comic strips featured in yesterday's Thursday's Comic Strip release.

Missed the comic strip adaptation? > Don't worry! We highly recommend heading over to yesterday's article to check it out. The vivid AI-generated comic strips have now been seamlessly added directly to the story transcript, allowing you to follow the visual journey as the narrative unfolds.

So, whether you are reading along with the beautifully crafted panels or just closing your eyes to let Rakia Ari's words paint the picture in your mind, grab a warm drink, pull up a chair, and get ready for a spine-tingling retreat.

Without further ado, here is "The Cabin Getaway." Enjoy the thrill!

This anthology dives deep into the human psyche, exploring the terrifying transformation of our most cherished moments into our darkest fears. It is a profound exploration of love, loss, and the things that refuse to let us go. Interestingly, the project took an unexpected, serendipitous turn when AI was introduced to help illustrate the tales. The technology inadvertently acted as an editor, forcing the prose to become richer and more deeply descriptive to truly capture the diverse, multicultural nuances of each story.

Rather than polishing away the raw edges, When Memories Become Nightmares is published “as is,” including the original two-sentence prompts alongside the final stories. It is an honest, unfiltered snapshot of a messy, beautiful, and unexpected creative journey—proving that sometimes, the cure for getting unstuck is simply facing the shadows head-on.

“Letting Go” – A Glimpse Inside

Set against the steep, narrow streets and black-and-white stones of Alfama in Lisbon, “Letting Go” follows Elara as she navigates a city that has become a shattered mosaic of her memories. A once-perfect, sun-drenched afternoon at the Miradouro de Santa Luzia twists into a suffocating nightmare, permanently tainted by the trauma of a car crash on a rainy night.

When Tiago, the man who shares this haunting reality, finds her and admits his voice raw with emotion that he cannot bring himself to let her go, Elara is faced with a profound choice. She realizes that finally letting him go would mean surrendering entirely to the nightmare. In a poignant moment of acceptance, she decides that she doesn’t want him to let go either, choosing to step forward into their flawed, painful reality rather than facing the emptiness of moving on alone.

Welcome back to the Akua Projects’ Podcast, the audio companion to your favorite cultural and lifestyle magazine. I’m so glad you’re tuning in today. It’s Sunday, and you know exactly what that means—it’s time to slow down, pause the hustle, and settle in for our weekly Sunday Mental Health Check-In.

Today, we are taking a trip into the rich well of African ancestry to find some much-needed grounding. We live in a world that constantly demands our immediate reaction—whether it’s replying to a text, firing back in the comments, or defending ourselves in a meeting. But today, we’re exploring the quiet, radical, and protective power of saying absolutely nothing. Let’s get into it.

Welcome back to another incredible week at The Akua Projects’ Podcast Magazine! Whether you are looking for emotional grounding, captivating storytelling, or just a safe space to unpack your week, our Substack has been overflowing with fresh content.

This week, we took a deep dive into what it means to anchor ourselves amid the chaos of life. From mental health check-ins to brand-new comic strips and short stories, here is a complete roundup of everything you might have missed—and why you need to head over to our Substack to catch up right now!

🧠 Grounding Your Mind: Mental Health & Inner Peace

We dedicated a significant portion of this week to cultivating stability and protecting our peace. If you need a moment to breathe and recenter, start here:

* Sunday’s Mental Health Check-In: Securing Your Inner Peace We kicked off the week with a powerful discussion on how to actively protect your mental space. It’s not just about avoiding stress; it’s about building a fortress for your well-being.

* Finding Peace in Being the Constant (Sunday’s Mental Health Check-In Revisited)

We followed up our Sunday session with a deeper reflection. In a world that is constantly shifting, there is immense power—and peace—in learning how to be your own constant.

* Welcome to the Wednesday Chat for the Sunday’s Mental Health Check-In Deep Dive

Our community came together mid-week to unpack Sunday’s themes. The Wednesday Chat is where the magic happens, transforming solitary reflection into a shared community dialogue.

🕰️ Nostalgia and Shadows: Navigating Memories

Memories can be a source of profound joy, but they can also carry heavy emotional weight. This week, we explored both ends of the spectrum:

* My Favorite Dates Series - Revisited: The Starry Night ‘Trap’

Take a walk down memory lane as we revisit a fan-favorite entry. “The Starry Night ‘Trap’” is a nostalgic, romantic, and slightly humorous look back at a memorable evening that didn’t go exactly as planned.

* When Memories Become Nightmares

On a heavier, more introspective note, we explored the darker side of nostalgia. This piece is a must-read for anyone who has ever had to navigate the complex emotions of a memory that no longer brings them comfort.

🎨 Escaping into Art: Comics, Stories, and Soundtracks

As the week wound down, we shifted gears into pure creative expression, offering our readers a chance to escape through fiction, visual art, and music.

* The Akua Projects’ Newsletter - Thursday Comic Strip: The Cabin Getaway - Safe Harbor

Our latest visual installment is here! Unwind with this week’s Thursday Comic Strip, where we explore the comforting, secluded themes of “Safe Harbor” in a beautiful cabin getaway.

* Friday’s Short Story Corner: The Unshakable Core

Close out your work week with our featured fiction. “The Unshakable Core” beautifully ties into our weekly theme of inner strength, delivering a narrative that will stay with you long after the final sentence.

* Soundtracks of Wisdom: The Quiet Throne

No week at The Akua Projects is complete without an auditory journey. “The Quiet Throne” is the perfect sonic companion for your weekend, designed to help you claim your personal power in silence.

Ready to dive in? > Don’t let these conversations pass you by. Head over to The Akua Projects’ Podcast Magazine on Substack to read, listen, and join a growing community dedicated to mental wellness, storytelling, and creative living. Make sure to hit that subscribe button so you never miss a post!

The Akua Projects' Podcast Magazine is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Thanks for reading The Akua Projects' Podcast Magazine! This post is public so feel free to share it.

Welcome back to The Akua Projects’ podcast magazine, and a very happy Friday to you all. You’ve tuned in to the Short Story Corner, your weekly space to pause, reflect, and get lost in a good narrative. I’m your host, [Host Name].

Today, we are exploring the profound wisdom of a traditional African proverb. It goes like this: ‘If there is no enemy within, the enemy outside can do us no harm.’ It’s a powerful thought, isn’t it? How often do we let our own inner critic—that voice of doubt or imposter syndrome—unlock the front door for the world’s negativity to rush in? When our own minds are insecure, a single critical comment from a stranger can feel like a devastating blow. But what happens when we do the hard work of building an internal fortress? What happens when we finally evict that enemy within?

In today’s story, titled The Unshakable Core, we meet Amara. She’s a visionary artist on the eve of her most ambitious gallery exhibition to date. She is about to come face-to-face with a harsh critic from her past, a man who knows exactly how to tear others down. But Amara is bringing a secret weapon to the gallery floor: a mind that she has fiercely, beautifully conquered.

So, wherever you are right now—whether you’re commuting home, unwinding with a cup of tea, or working on a creative project of your own—take a deep breath. Settle in. Let’s step into Amara’s studio.

The author details a unique creative journey in the preface: initiall…

Welcome back to the table. You’re listening to a special mid-week edition of The Akua Projects’ Podcast Magazine. I’m so glad you decided to pull up a chair and spend a few minutes with me today.

Welcome to another Sunday Mental Health Check-In here at The Akua Projects’ Podcast Magazine. Sundays offer a natural pause in the week—a moment to step back, breathe, and recalibrate before Monday rolls around. Today, we are focusing on mental resilience and how we protect our energy from the inside out.

What are the Soundtracks of Wisdom?

As we continue to explore culture, growth, storytelling, and transformative ideas through our written articles, we realize that the experience can be pushed even further. Soundtracks of Wisdom are bespoke, carefully curated audio tracks created specifically to occupy and accompany the articles posted in our magazine.

Think of it as a score to your reading experience. Every time we publish a new piece, it will be paired with a unique audio journey designed to match the pulse, tone, and emotional depth of the text.

A Multi-Sensory Journey

We are bridging the gap between the traditional reading experience and the immersive world of podcasting and sound design. Whether it’s an ambient soundscape to help you reflect on a deep philosophical essay, a rhythmic beat to drive home a piece on cultural innovation, or a blend of spoken word and melody, these tracks are here to elevate the way you consume our content.

How to experience it:

* The Immersive Read: Plug in your headphones, hit play on the track at the top of the article, and read along. Let the music set the pace and tone of the words.

* The Audio Companion: On the go? Let the Soundtracks of Wisdom play in the background while you commute, create, or relax, absorbing the essence of The Akua Projects wherever you are.

Press Play on Your Growth

This is more than just background noise; it is an intentional layer of art added to our storytelling. We are creating a space where literature meets sound, and where our community can engage with our ideas on a much deeper, vibrational level.

So, grab your favorite headphones, find a quiet space, and get ready to experience The Akua Projects like never before.

Subscribe, tune in, and let the wisdom resonate.

The Akua Projects' Podcast Magazine is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Welcome back, short story enthusiasts, to another Friday here at The Akua Projects’ Podcast Magazine. I’m so glad you found your way back to the Short Story Corner today. The candles are lit, the old printing press is resting, and the shelves are practically humming with new tales to share.

Have you ever found yourself completely derailed by a minor annoyance? A petty comment, a lingering doubt, or a tiny distraction that somehow manages to take over your entire day? We’ve all been there. It’s so easy to lose sight of the mountain we’re climbing when we’re too busy staring at the pebbles in our shoes.

Today’s story is rooted in a powerful, ancient piece of wisdom from Egypt: ‘A lion does not turn around when a small dog barks.’ In this week’s tale, titled The Roar of the Akua Project, we meet Maya. She has a beautiful, vibrant vision for her neighborhood, but a very vocal, very cynical neighbor seems determined to tear her down before she even begins. It’s a story about focus, purpose, and learning the hard way exactly which voices actually deserve your attention.

So, pull up a chair, get comfortable, and let’s dive into today’s story...

I focused on a beautiful, specific memory—the plum blossoms—and twisted it into the very thing that now haunts them, linking their past happiness directly to their present trauma.

For more stories from When Memories Become Nightmares, visit our Lulu.Com store.

When Memories Become Nightmares is a compelling collection of flash fiction and vignettes that explores the dark intersection of nostalgia, grief, and trauma. What began as a simple, low-pressure exercise to combat writer’s block evolved into a global anthology of haunting narratives.

The author details a unique creative journey in the preface: initially writing short, two-sentence "story seeds," they employed AI to generate accompanying artwork. This collaboration acted as an "unexpected editor," forcing the author to write with greater descriptive precision to ensure the AI could correctly visualize the diverse cultures and protagonists depicted.

The resulting stories traverse time and geography, from the cane fields of 1907 St. James and the frozen tundras of Alaska to ancient China and modern-day Nairobi. In each tale, a cherished memory—a lover's touch, the scent of orange blossoms, or a reunion with a brother—twists into a psychological prison or a "living nightmare".

The book includes:

The Preface: An honest look at the "messy, stop-and-start" creative process.

The Stories: A series of vivid emotional snapshots where characters face the "ghosts" of their pasts, often accompanied by the visual prompts that inspired them.

The Exercise: A concluding section that reveals the original "before" text—the raw story seeds that birthed the longer narratives.

This week, we are anchoring our mindset with a powerful African proverb:

🦁 “A lion does not turn around when a small dog barks.” (Egypt/Various)

What does this mean for our mental health?It’s a beautiful reminder to protect your peace. Do not let small distractions, petty criticisms, or minor inconveniences break your focus on your greater goals and your healing journey.

You are the lion on a mission. The “small dogs” are those everyday annoyances—passive-aggressive comments, negative news cycles, social media trolls, or even your own inner critic. A lion doesn’t lose sleep over the dog’s opinion, and neither should you.

This chat room is our safe space to discuss how we’re cultivating our focus and applying this ‘Lion Energy’ to our lives this week.

👇 Let’s kick things off: Drop a 🦁 in the chat if you are ready to keep your eyes on the horizon this week! Then, tell us... What is one “barking dog” you are consciously choosing to walk past today?

If you caught our latest Women That Inspire Me piece in the magazine (or listened to this week’s book club episode!), you know we are deep in our Audre Lorde era right now.

Her words are so dense and powerful that an article alone just doesn’t do them justice. So, I wanted to bring the conversation here to the chat so we can unpack some of her heaviest hitting concepts together. Let’s get into it! 👇🏽

The Wissahickon Wake-Up Call & Leaning on Your Village

Welcome back to the cozy corner, family. In this week's episode of The Akua Projects' Podcast Magazine, host Rakia Ari is unpacking the heavy baggage of the week and reflecting on the major themes from our recent Sunday Mental Health Check-Ins. We are talking about the danger of running our internal batteries down to 1%, what happens when the universe forces us to stop, and why we need to intentionally practice becoming who we want to be.

Most importantly, we are anchoring this week's reflections in a powerful African proverb that reminds us why community is the ultimate survival tool. If you've been feeling isolated, burnt out, or just need a collective deep breath, this episode is for you.

🎧 Episode Timestamps:

[00:00] Welcome to the cozy corner & taking our collective deep breath.

[04:15] The Wissahickon Wake-Up Call: A story about freezing nights, 1% phone batteries, and the universe saying "Nope."

[12:30] Practicing Who We Want to Be: Why healing isn't a light switch, but a daily, grace-filled practice.

[18:45] Proverb of the Week: Unpacking the truth behind, "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together."

[24:10] Homework for the Week: How to stop carrying it all alone and actively lean on your village.

[27:30] Outro & where to find your free Sunday Reset Worksheet.

🔗 Links & Resources Mentioned:

Read the full recap on the blog: Dive deeper into today's conversation on our Substack. https://open.substack.com/pub/rakiaari/p/slowing-down-and-finding-our-village?r=7p8aq&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

Download your Sunday Reset Worksheet: Take 10 minutes this weekend to check your internal battery and map out your support system. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1O1a7HPgfbWFpfb3_tW2EUaqXqMj42bnQ/view?usp=sharing

Join the Conversation: How are you leaning on your village this week? Let us know on SubStack in the Chatroom at https://substack.com/chat/5128836

🌍 Quote of the Week:

"If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." — African Proverb

Creator: Rakia Ari

Produced by: The Akua Projects

Support the Podcast: If this episode brought you some peace or clarity, please subscribe, rate, and leave a review! It helps our village grow.

What are the Soundtracks of Wisdom?

As we continue to explore culture, growth, storytelling, and transformative ideas through our written articles, we realize that the experience can be pushed even further. Soundtracks of Wisdom are bespoke, carefully curated audio tracks created specifically to occupy and accompany the articles posted in our magazine.

Think of it as a score to your reading experience. Every time we publish a new piece, it will be paired with a unique audio journey designed to match the pulse, tone, and emotional depth of the text.

A Multi-Sensory Journey

We are bridging the gap between the traditional reading experience and the immersive world of podcasting and sound design. Whether it’s an ambient soundscape to help you reflect on a deep philosophical essay, a rhythmic beat to drive home a piece on cultural innovation, or a blend of spoken word and melody, these tracks are here to elevate the way you consume our content.

How to experience it:

* The Immersive Read: Plug in your headphones, hit play on the track at the top of the article, and read along. Let the music set the pace and tone of the words.

* The Audio Companion: On the go? Let the Soundtracks of Wisdom play in the background while you commute, create, or relax, absorbing the essence of The Akua Projects wherever you are.

Press Play on Your Growth

This is more than just background noise; it is an intentional layer of art added to our storytelling. We are creating a space where literature meets sound, and where our community can engage with our ideas on a much deeper, vibrational level.

So, grab your favorite headphones, find a quiet space, and get ready to experience The Akua Projects like never before.

Subscribe, tune in, and let the wisdom resonate.

The Akua Projects' Podcast Magazine is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about the pressure we put on ourselves to do everything all at once. We want to secure the bag, perfect our craft, and show up for everyone around us—simultaneously. But recently, a powerful Yoruba proverb has been sitting heavy on my spirit: "The hunter who chases two rabbits catches neither." To help unpack what that really means for us as creatives and multi-passionate people, I wrote a short story for you today. Let's get into it.

The author details a unique creative journey in the preface: initially writing short, two-sentence "story seeds," they employed AI to generate accompanying artwork. This collaboration acted as an "unexpected editor," forcing the author to write with greater descriptive precision to ensure the AI could correctly visualize the diverse cultures and protagonists depicted.

The resulting stories traverse time and geography, from the cane fields of 1907 St. James and the frozen tundras of Alaska to ancient China and modern-day Nairobi. In each tale, a cherished memory—a lover's touch, the scent of orange blossoms, or a reunion with a brother—twists into a psychological prison or a "living nightmare".

The book includes:

* The Preface: An honest look at the "messy, stop-and-start" creative process.

* The Stories: A series of vivid emotional snapshots where characters face the "ghosts" of their pasts, often accompanied by the visual prompts that inspired them.

* The Exercise: A concluding section that reveals the original "before" text—the raw story seeds that birthed the longer narratives.

Available on Lulu.

Pause, Breathe, Reflect: Welcome to Sunday’s Check-In 🌿

Hello beautifully beautifully made people, and welcome to Sunday’s Mental Health Check-In right here on The Akua Projects’ Podcast Magazine. I’m your host and writer, Rakia Ari.

Sundays are often caught in the crossfire between the exhaustion of the week we just finished and the anxiety of the week that’s about to begin. But right here, in this space, Sunday is just for you. This is our weekly sanctuary to pause, take a deep breath, and do a gentle audit of our minds and hearts. Before we rush into Monday’s to-do lists, let’s take a moment to pour back into ourselves. Grab your favorite warm drink, get comfortable, and let’s check in.

Here at The Akua Projects, we believe that wisdom shouldn’t just be read—it should be felt. It should resonate, echo, and linger with you long after you’ve scrolled to the bottom of the page. That’s why we are thrilled to introduce Soundtracks of Wisdom, a groundbreaking new auditory companion to our Substack magazine.

What are the Soundtracks of Wisdom?

As we continue to explore culture, growth, storytelling, and transformative ideas through our written articles, we realize that the experience can be pushed even further. Soundtracks of Wisdom are bespoke, carefully curated audio tracks created specifically to occupy and accompany the articles posted in our magazine.

Think of it as a score to your reading experience. Every time we publish a new piece, it will be paired with a unique audio journey designed to match the pulse, tone, and emotional depth of the text.

A Multi-Sensory Journey

We are bridging the gap between the traditional reading experience and the immersive world of podcasting and sound design. Whether it’s an ambient soundscape to help you reflect on a deep philosophical essay, a rhythmic beat to drive home a piece on cultural innovation, or a blend of spoken word and melody, these tracks are here to elevate the way you consume our content.

How to experience it:

* The Immersive Read: Plug in your headphones, hit play on the track at the top of the article, and read along. Let the music set the pace and tone of the words.

* The Audio Companion: On the go? Let the Soundtracks of Wisdom play in the background while you commute, create, or relax, absorbing the essence of The Akua Projects wherever you are.

Press Play on Your Growth

This is more than just background noise; it is an intentional layer of art added to our storytelling. We are creating a space where literature meets sound, and where our community can engage with our ideas on a much deeper, vibrational level.

So, grab your favorite headphones, find a quiet space, and get ready to experience The Akua Projects like never before.

Subscribe, tune in, and let the wisdom resonate.

Here at The Akua Projects, we believe that wisdom shouldn’t just be read—it should be felt. It should resonate, echo, and linger with you long after you’ve scrolled to the bottom of the page. That’s why we are thrilled to introduce Soundtracks of Wisdom, a groundbreaking new auditory companion to our Substack magazine.

What are the Soundtracks of Wisdom?

As we continue to explore culture, growth, storytelling, and transformative ideas through our written articles, we realize that the experience can be pushed even further. Soundtracks of Wisdom are bespoke, carefully curated audio tracks created specifically to occupy and accompany the articles posted in our magazine.

Think of it as a score to your reading experience. Every time we publish a new piece, it will be paired with a unique audio journey designed to match the pulse, tone, and emotional depth of the text.

A Multi-Sensory Journey

We are bridging the gap between the traditional reading experience and the immersive world of podcasting and sound design. Whether it’s an ambient soundscape to help you reflect on a deep philosophical essay, a rhythmic beat to drive home a piece on cultural innovation, or a blend of spoken word and melody, these tracks are here to elevate the way you consume our content.

How to experience it:

* The Immersive Read: Plug in your headphones, hit play on the track at the top of the article, and read along. Let the music set the pace and tone of the words.

* The Audio Companion: On the go? Let the Soundtracks of Wisdom play in the background while you commute, create, or relax, absorbing the essence of The Akua Projects wherever you are.

Press Play on Your Growth

This is more than just background noise; it is an intentional layer of art added to our storytelling. We are creating a space where literature meets sound, and where our community can engage with our ideas on a much deeper, vibrational level.

So, grab your favorite headphones, find a quiet space, and get ready to experience The Akua Projects like never before.

Subscribe, tune in, and let the wisdom resonate.

Hello and welcome to another episode of The Akua Projects’ Podcast Magazine’s Short Story Corner, story by Creator Rakia Ari.

Every project begins with a spark, but it takes community and consistency to keep the fire burning. Today, I’m inviting you to slow down and hold space with me as we explore the powerful Bantu proverb:

“Patience is the mother of a beautiful character.”

Grab your tea, settle in, and let’s get into it.

Here at The Akua Projects, we believe that wisdom shouldn’t just be read—it should be felt. It should resonate, echo, and linger with you long after you’ve scrolled to the bottom of the page. That’s why we are thrilled to introduce Soundtracks of Wisdom, a groundbreaking new auditory companion to our Substack magazine.

What are the Soundtracks of Wisdom?

As we continue to explore culture, growth, storytelling, and transformative ideas through our written articles, we realize that the experience can be pushed even further. Soundtracks of Wisdom are bespoke, carefully curated audio tracks created specifically to occupy and accompany the articles posted in our magazine.

Think of it as a score to your reading experience. Every time we publish a new piece, it will be paired with a unique audio journey designed to match the pulse, tone, and emotional depth of the text.

A Multi-Sensory Journey

We are bridging the gap between the traditional reading experience and the immersive world of podcasting and sound design. Whether it’s an ambient soundscape to help you reflect on a deep philosophical essay, a rhythmic beat to drive home a piece on cultural innovation, or a blend of spoken word and melody, these tracks are here to elevate the way you consume our content.

How to experience it:

* The Immersive Read: Plug in your headphones, hit play on the track at the top of the article, and read along. Let the music set the pace and tone of the words.

* The Audio Companion: On the go? Let the Soundtracks of Wisdom play in the background while you commute, create, or relax, absorbing the essence of The Akua Projects wherever you are.

Press Play on Your Growth

This is more than just background noise; it is an intentional layer of art added to our storytelling. We are creating a space where literature meets sound, and where our community can engage with our ideas on a much deeper, vibrational level.

So, grab your favorite headphones, find a quiet space, and get ready to experience The Akua Projects like never before.

Subscribe, tune in, and let the wisdom resonate.

Here at The Akua Projects, we believe that wisdom shouldn't just be read—it should be felt. It should resonate, echo, and linger with you long after you’ve scrolled to the bottom of the page. That’s why we are thrilled to introduce Soundtracks of Wisdom, a groundbreaking new auditory companion to our Substack magazine.

What are the Soundtracks of Wisdom?

As we continue to explore culture, growth, storytelling, and transformative ideas through our written articles, we realize that the experience can be pushed even further. Soundtracks of Wisdom are bespoke, carefully curated audio tracks created specifically to occupy and accompany the articles posted in our magazine.

Think of it as a score to your reading experience. Every time we publish a new piece, it will be paired with a unique audio journey designed to match the pulse, tone, and emotional depth of the text.

A Multi-Sensory Journey

We are bridging the gap between the traditional reading experience and the immersive world of podcasting and sound design. Whether it’s an ambient soundscape to help you reflect on a deep philosophical essay, a rhythmic beat to drive home a piece on cultural innovation, or a blend of spoken word and melody, these tracks are here to elevate the way you consume our content.

How to experience it:

* The Immersive Read: Plug in your headphones, hit play on the track at the top of the article, and read along. Let the music set the pace and tone of the words.

* The Audio Companion: On the go? Let the Soundtracks of Wisdom play in the background while you commute, create, or relax, absorbing the essence of The Akua Projects wherever you are.

Press Play on Your Growth

This is more than just background noise; it is an intentional layer of art added to our storytelling. We are creating a space where literature meets sound, and where our community can engage with our ideas on a much deeper, vibrational level.

So, grab your favorite headphones, find a quiet space, and get ready to experience The Akua Projects like never before.

Subscribe, tune in, and let the wisdom resonate.

Words move the mind, but sound moves the soul. Welcome to a new dimension of The Akua Projects’ Podcast Magazine.

Here at The Akua Projects, we believe that wisdom shouldn’t just be read—it should be felt. It should resonate, echo, and linger with you long after you’ve scrolled to the bottom of the page. That’s why we are thrilled to introduce Soundtracks of Wisdom, a groundbreaking new auditory companion to our Substack magazine.

What are the Soundtracks of Wisdom?

As we continue to explore culture, growth, storytelling, and transformative ideas through our written articles, we realize that the experience can be pushed even further. Soundtracks of Wisdom are bespoke, carefully curated audio tracks created specifically to occupy and accompany the articles posted in our magazine.

Think of it as a score to your reading experience. Every time we publish a new piece, it will be paired with a unique audio journey designed to match the pulse, tone, and emotional depth of the text.

A Multi-Sensory Journey

We are bridging the gap between the traditional reading experience and the immersive world of podcasting and sound design. Whether it’s an ambient soundscape to help you reflect on a deep philosophical essay, a rhythmic beat to drive home a piece on cultural innovation, or a blend of spoken word and melody, these tracks are here to elevate the way you consume our content.

How to experience it:

* The Immersive Read: Plug in your headphones, hit play on the track at the top of the article, and read along. Let the music set the pace and tone of the words.

* The Audio Companion: On the go? Let the Soundtracks of Wisdom play in the background while you commute, create, or relax, absorbing the essence of The Akua Projects wherever you are.

Press Play on Your Growth

This is more than just background noise; it is an intentional layer of art added to our storytelling. We are creating a space where literature meets sound, and where our community can engage with our ideas on a much deeper, vibrational level.

So, grab your favorite headphones, find a quiet space, and get ready to experience The Akua Projects like never before.

Subscribe, tune in, and let the wisdom resonate.

Hello and Welcome. You are listening to The Akua Projects’ Podcast Magazine with Creator Rakia Ari.

Every project begins with a spark, but it takes community and consistency to keep the fire burning. Today, I’m inviting you to slow down and hold space with me as we explore this week’s ‘Sunday’s Mental Health Check-In: Practicing Who We Want to Be’.

Grab your tea, settle in, and let’s get into it.

What began as a simple, low-pressure exercise to combat writer’s block evolved into a global anthology of haunting narratives. The author details a unique creative journey in the preface: initially writing short, two-sentence "story seeds," they employed AI to generate accompanying artwork. This collaboration acted as an "unexpected editor," forcing the author to write with greater descriptive precision to ensure the AI could correctly visualize the diverse cultures and protagonists depicted. The resulting stories traverse time and geography, from the cane fields of 1907 St. James and the frozen tundras of Alaska to ancient China and modern-day Nairobi. In each tale, a cherished memory—a lover's touch, the scent of orange blossoms, or a reunion with a brother—twists into a psychological prison or a "living nightmare".

The book includes:

The Preface: An honest look at the "messy, stop-and-start" creative process.

The Stories: A series of vivid emotional snapshots where characters face the "ghosts" of their pasts, often accompanied by the visual prompts that inspired them.

The Exercise: A concluding section that reveals the original "before" text—the raw story seeds that birthed the longer narratives.

I’m getting vulnerable about a chaotic Wednesday night, the hard lessons learned from moving too fast, and the African proverb that brought me back down to earth: “You do not test the depth of a river with both feet.” 🌊

Grab your tea and let’s talk about slowing down and leaning on our village.

🎧 Listen to the full spoken-word intro and read the latest post on The Akua Projects Substack!

Welcome back, family, to another Sunday’s Mental Health Check-In here on The Akua Projects. Grab your favorite tea, get comfortable, and let’s take a collective deep breath.

If you are tuning into the podcast or reading along on Substack, you already know we use this space to unpack the heavy baggage of the week. And let me tell you, this past Wednesday handed me a duffel bag full of it.

I want to talk today about the days where absolutely nothing connects, and how those moments force us to look at how we navigate our mental health when the universe decides to test our patience.

Hello, beautiful community! I am your host and creator, Rakia Ari.

If you are listening to the background track right now, you are hearing something incredibly special. This week, I decided to try something completely new: a spoken-word piece I wrote, brought to life with music and voiceover generated by Gemini. This track was born from a recent personal incident—one that shook me, inspired me, and became the beating heart of this entire week’s lineup.

Here is a preview of the journey we are taking together this week:

🗓️ This Week on The Akua Project:

✨ Sunday: Mental Health Check-InWe are grounding ourselves with deep, ancestral wisdom. We’ll be digging into two powerful proverbs that have been heavy on my heart:

* “You do not test the depth of a river with both feet.” (Ashanti Proverb)

* “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

✨ Monday: Monday’s RevisitStart your work week with a deep exhale. We are reviving a beloved Mental Health Check-In from the archives of my blog: Breath by Breath, Just Let Go.

✨ Tuesday: Let’s Write a Story Together!My absolute favorite dates series continues! Bring your creativity and let’s build a beautiful narrative piece by piece.

✨ Wednesday: The Chat RoomLet’s talk about it! Come hang out with me in the Substack Chat Room. We will be doing a deeper dive into Sunday’s Mental Health Check-In. Bring your thoughts, your experiences, and your open hearts.

✨ Thursday: The Cabin GetawayGet ready for the newest episode of The Cabin Getaway comic! The visual storytelling continues, and you won’t want to miss what happens next.

✨ Friday: Story TimeWe close the week with an intimate short story written by me. This piece reflects on the recent real-life incident I experienced—the exact spark that inspired Sunday’s check-in and the musical track you are hearing today.

🌟 Become a Founding Member of Our Journey

The Akua Project is more than just a podcast or a magazine; it is a safe space for storytelling, mental health advocacy, and community connection.

If my stories, check-ins, or comics resonate with you, please hit that Subscribe button. Want to go further with us? I warmly invite you to upgrade to a Paid Subscription. Your paid membership directly supports my ability to create these tracks, draw these comics, and keep this beautiful, vulnerable space thriving. As that proverb says: If you want to go far, go together. Let’s go far.

Drop a 💛 in the comments if you’re ready for the week!

Warmly,Rakia Ari

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

Have you ever rushed out the door, only to realize you forgot your keys, spilled your coffee, and spiked your anxiety before 9 AM? ☕️ We’ve all been there.

But what happens when we start rushing our healing?

On this week’s Sunday Mental Health Check-In, we explore the beautiful Swahili proverb: "Haraka haraka haina baraka" (Hurry, hurry has no blessings). If you’re feeling the pressure to fast-track your personal growth, this one is for you. 🌿

Hit the link in our bio to read the full Substack newsletter and listen to the new podcast episode! How are you intentionally slowing down today? Let us know below. 👇🏾

Hello and welcome. You are listening to The Akua Projects’ Podcast with Creator Rakia Ari.

Every project begins with a spark, but it takes community and consistency to keep the fire burning. Today, I’m inviting you to slow down and hold space with me as we explore my newest short story.

Grab your tea, settle in, and let’s get into it.

We often wish we could live inside our favorite memories forever. But what if that memory decided it didn’t want to let you go?

In The Ancient Cedar Tree, a moment of perfect love transforms into a cage.

Reading from When Memories Become Nightmares:

“I looked at his hand in mine. It was solid. Too solid... He turned his head, his smile still fixed. But his eyes... they weren’t his. They were polished glass, reflecting the forest green but holding nothing of the man I loved.

They were just the memory, perfect and replicated, with none of the soul.

‘You’re not real,’ I whispered.

‘I am as real as you need me to be,’ he said...

The nightmare was the realization that my own mind had built a beautiful cage and locked me inside it with a perfect, hollow copy. The memory had become sentient, a predator wearing the face of love. It didn’t want to comfort me; it wanted to keep me.”

Sometimes, the scariest thing isn’t the monster under the bed. It’s the ghost of the person you loved most.

"He had sought change to escape a quiet sadness, only to gain a profound, absolute isolation."

The story of Peleus and Lyra explores the heavy price of wanting to be something more than what we are. When the manatee Peleus consumes a forbidden lotus, he gains the power and majesty of an elephant—but loses the only creature who truly saw him.

A reminder that sometimes the "quiet" lives we lead are actually the ones holding our greatest treasures. 🐚✨

Today, we are doing something a little different. As many of you know, I’ve been working on a special collection called When Memories Become Nightmares.

This project didn’t start as a book. It actually started as a cure for a massive case of writer’s block. I began by writing simple, two-sentence ‘story seeds’ and using AI to generate images for them. But something interesting happened. The AI became an unexpected editor; if I wasn’t descriptive enough, the images wouldn’t work.

It forced me to dig deeper. And as I did, these small seeds grew into a global anthology of flash fiction about the specific moment when nostalgia turns into grief.

The stories you are about to hear explore what happens when our safest harbors—a childhood home, a lover’s embrace, or a quiet forest—become the very places that haunt us.

So, turn down the lights. Here is an exclusive audio preview from my new ebook, When Memories Become Nightmares.

If that story stayed with you, the full ebook is available right now. You can find the link in the show notes or directly here on my Substack.

As always, thank you for listening, and for supporting The Akua Projects.

Feeling the Sunday Scaries? Let me introduce you to the concept of being “between the back and the sack.”

Originating from Zulu culture, it describes someone who is well-protected and supported by their community. Safety is found in belonging, not just independence.

Who is your “sack” this week? Who holds you when you’re tired?

Full Sunday Check-In is up now.

​"Good morning, family!" Nana announced, her voice rich with anticipation. "Today is a special day. It’s December 26th, the start of Kwanzaa!"

​Kofi, bursting with the energy only a young boy possesses, looked up from the low table he had been inspecting. "Kwanzaa?" he asked, tilting his head. "Is that a religious holiday like Christmas?"

​Nana shook her head gently, placing a hand on his shoulder. "No, Kofi. It’s a secular, pan-African cultural holiday. It runs from today until January 1st. It isn't about religion; it’s about celebrating our history, heritage, and community."

​Nana’s eyes grew distant for a moment, reflecting on the past. "It was established in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, right after the Watts Riots in Los Angeles. It was a difficult time, and he wanted to bring African Americans together to restore our sense of community and pride."

​Aria, who had entered carrying a woven straw mat, nodded enthusiastically. "He modeled it after traditional African harvest festivals, right Nana?"

​"Exactly, Aria!" Nana beamed at her granddaughter. "The name comes from the Swahili phrase matunda ya kwanza, which means 'first fruits.'"

​Aria moved to the low table and carefully unfurled the woven mat. "Okay, let’s set up the altar. First is the Mkeka."

​"Yes," Nana affirmed, watching Aria smooth out the straw. "The mat represents our tradition and history. It is the foundation upon which everything else rests. Without it, the other symbols have nothing to stand on."

​Next, Nana placed a beautiful wooden candleholder on the mat. Kofi rushed over, his hands full of candles—three red, one black, and three green.

​"Here is the Kinara and the Mishumaa Saba—the seven candles!" Kofi announced, handing them over. "But why these colors, Nana?"

​Nana began placing the candles into the Kinara. "The Kinara represents our ancestry. As for the colors, they are vital to who we are. Black is for the people, Red is for the struggle we have endured, and Green is for the future and the hope we hold."

​She pointed to the seven unlit candles now standing tall. "These seven candles represent the Nguzo Saba—The Seven Principles. We dedicate one day to each." She ran her finger along the line. "There is Umoja for Unity, Kujichagulia for Self-Determination, Ujima for Collective Work, and Ujamaa for Cooperative Economics. Then we have Nia for Purpose, Kuumba for Creativity, and finally, Imani for Faith."

​Aria returned from the kitchen carrying a bowl overflowing with fresh fruits and vegetables, which she arranged artfully on the mat. "We add the Mazao, the crops, to celebrate the harvest and the rewards of our productive labor."

​"And I’m putting down the Muhindi!" Kofi exclaimed, placing two ears of corn on the Mkeka. "One ear for me, and one for Aria!"

​"That’s right," Nana laughed softly. "The corn represents the children and the future of our family." She then placed a simple wooden chalice in the center of the arrangement. "And this is the Kikombe cha Umoja, the Unity Cup. We use it to pour libations to honor our ancestors."

​As the day turned to evening, the atmosphere in the room shifted to one of reverence. The family gathered around the now-complete altar.

​"So, how do we start the ritual?" Aria asked.

​"Every night, we ask the greeting: 'Habari Gani?'" Nana said, looking at her grandchildren. "It means, 'What is the news?'"

​Kofi puffed out his chest. "And we answer with the principle of the day! Today is day one, so the answer is 'Umoja'—Unity!"

​"Correct," Nana said. She struck a match and lit the single black candle in the very center. The flame flickered to life, illuminating their faces. "We light the Black candle first. Then, over the next few days, we will light the others, alternating from the red on the left—representing struggle—to the green on the right—representing hope."

​They stood in the glow of the candlelight, feeling the warmth of the moment.

​"I can't wait for December 31st," Nana mused. "We will have the Karamu, a great feast with our community, food, and dance."

​"And on the last day, for Imani," Kofi grinned, "we get Zawadi! Gifts!"

​Aria nudged him playfully. "Yes, but remember, they are usually educational or handmade gifts. It’s about encouraging growth and creativity, not just buying commercial stuff." She smiled at her brother. "It’s going to be a beautiful week."

​Nana put her arms around both of them, pulling them close as the black candle burned steadily.

​"Happy Kwanzaa, my loves."

​"Happy Kwanzaa!" they replied in unison.

#ShareYourConfidence

#MentalHealthCheckIn

#LiftOthersUp

#BeBrave

#believeinothers