Goddess Of Week: Diamond Dorris

 Name: My name is Diamond Dorris, but everyone calls me Di.

 Location: I’m currently in Los Angeles, Ca, but I’m from San Jose, Ca. Gotta put on for the bay.

 Astrological Sign/rising: My sun sign is Aries, rising is Gemini, and moon is Leo. If it sounds like a handful, it is, and this is coming from the person living the life firsthand.

 Occupation: I am still working on my Ph.D. and opening my own private practice as an herbalist/nutritionist. I have a blog, lovethediosa.com, and keep in touch with my audience on Twitter & Instagram between it all. My plan is building my brand right now. The last year it has completely taken off. Whether beauty, fitness, love, or health tips, I think it’s super cool that people value my advice. That means a lot. I recently realized that people also want to pay me to take photos of me modeling or wearing their stuff. I didn’t see that one coming, especially being seen as the tomboy in corduroy overalls and sweat suits growing up, but here we are haha.

Which Goddess or Goddess Archetype do you most identify with and why?

Aja is my inspiration and my life. She’s a healer, and herbalist/botanist. She was all about wildlife, and everything green. She usually didn’t come across humans often, but when a human finally met her, they were swept away. Literally, Her entire being was overwhelming in the most positive way. Completely enchanted, they always returned stronger, and better than when she found them. She’s not meant to be forgotten. She was more about teaching people so they could help themselves. She’s all about growth, the elements, and oneness of the planet.

 How do you get in touch with/unleash your inner goddess? By creating. Women are capable of doing some powerful things. We literally are given one cell to work with by men, and the return investment is a baby. An entire child! That’s unheard of! But I’m one of those extraordinary creatures with this power. The power to make something out of basically nothing seen by the naked eye. To use tools overlooked, or seen as inefficient, and useless. I make it all come together. Whether I give birth to a new idea, a dream, or a child (one day), I’m constantly creating. When I’m in the zone, no one can touch me. No one.

 What is your Goddess superpower? I think one thing people tend to find out about me pretty quickly is that I am the one with visions and dreams. I hated it most of my life because some dreams were just terrible. I just wanted to be “normal”, but looking back I am grateful for all the amazing dreams given to me. I have told both of my aunties they were pregnant before they found out, including one who was just told she had a miscarriage. Imagine, how crazy I looked telling a woman that was told she miscarried that she was actually pregnant. My dreams even saved my dad’s life once. My dreams have shown me the next steps in my life, if I need to slow down or speed up, etc. Sometimes my dreams are just me and my subconscious just chilling and figuring things out. I even visit people when I’m not too lazy

Will You join us in the sacred twerk circle? I will bring the waka, juvie and webbie. I was born to do this. Do not play. Iso buttcheek twerk and whine is on 100%. 

What is an inspiring quote/passage/ that you would like to share with other women & younger goddesses? : I came across this passage a few years ago & it changed me forever by Rafael Espitia Perea:

 “A goddess is a woman who emerges from deep within herself. She is a woman who has honestly explored her darkness and learned to celebrate her light. She is a woman who is able to fall in love with the magnificent possibilities within her. She is a woman who knows of the magic and mysterious places inside her, the sacred places that can nurture her soul and make her whole. She is a woman who radiates light. She is magnetic. She walks into a room and male and female alike feel her presence. She has power and softness at the same time. 

She has powerful sexual energy that’s not dependent on physical looks. She has a body that she adores and it shows by the way she comfortably lives and moves in it. She cherishes beauty, light and love. She is a mother to all children. She flows with life in effortless grace. She can heal with a look or a touch of the hand. She is fiercely sensual and fearlessly erotic and engages in sex as her way to share with another in touching the divine. She is compassion and wisdom. She is seeker of Truth and cares deeply about something bigger than herself. She is a woman who knows that her purpose in life is to reach higher and rule with love. She is woman in love with love. 

She knows that joy is her destiny and by embracing it and sharing it with others, wounds are healed. She is a woman who has come to know that her partner is as tender, lost, and frightened as she has been at times. She has come to understand the scars of the boy in him and knows that together, love can be the relief, the healing of their wounds. 

She is a woman who can accept herself as she is. She can accept another as they are. She is able to forgive her mistakes and not feel threatened by another’s even when attacked. She is a woman who can ask for help when she needs it or give help when asked. She respects boundaries, hers and another’s.

She can see God in another’s eyes.

She can see God in her own. 

She can see God in every life situation. 

She is woman who takes responsibility for everything she creates in her life. 

She is a woman who is totally supportive and giving. 

She is a Goddess.”

• You can follow Diamond on Twitter @LovetheDiosa and Instagram @LoveTheDiosa

Practical Chakra Balancing.

A while back, I wrote an introductory to The 7 major chakras centers titled
"CHAKRAS, COLORS, & STONES" in this article I discussed recognizing blockages or over-activity in the chakras + the benefits of using gemstones and of course the healing power of color. Today, I wanted to touch on some very simple activities that can literally jump-start your sluggish energy centers. Face it, we live in an extremely fast paced world full of an array of energy draining living conditions: work schedules, school, and of course family life.  All of these daily task can make finding time for self-care pretty difficult on the average person. Here at The Hoodwitch we're all about the practical magic. As a working mother, I understand the struggle in finding the time for self-nurturing activities that will not only inspire me, but keep my frequency/energy levels high and my aura nice and sparkly. The practices listed below require little to no time, money, and can be done alone or with your closest family & friends. Daily, or weekly.  Different activities will stimulate different chakras, If you do at least ONE thing different each day, the direction of your life will change .

Remember, it is important to be honest and listen to your body. When the chakras are too open, balance is the remedy!  If you have excessive power in your chakras (Think: type A, aggressive, neurotic behaviors), step back and let someone else drive. If you're around people all of the time, it's important to spend time alone. See, BALANCE. Generally speaking, when a chakra is too open, the balance for this is to do the opposite of what you would normally do. Are your chakras over active or deficient? You can read more about that HERE.  Intuitive counselor and author Dena Marie says "One new practice a day, could potentially keep the doctor away!" and we agree!

Practical Chakra Balancing Activities:

• First Chakra (Survival) : Walk in nature, plant a garden, pay your monthly bills (early), slow down, take a hike, Hug a tree, feel your roots, clean your house, Eat healthy foods, walk outside with bare feet, take a vacation in nature, Go bird watching, and admire the plants and animals there, play the drums, Do yoga, Do nothing (in the most relaxing of ways), wear the color red, eat red foods + protein.

• Second Chakra (Relationships): Take a luxurious bath, Sit by water, stretch your body, swim, move your hips, dance, Drink plenty of fresh natural liquids, Be sexual (responsibly), Be spontaneous, Go to the ocean, Do volunteer work, drive somewhere you've never been, Go on a retreat with people you don't know. Wear the color orange, eat orange foods.

• Third Chakra (Empowerment): Laugh, run, cry, watch a fire + burn stuff (not your ex-boyfriend's house), take up a martial art class, tai chi or boxing, lift weights, ride a bike like a child again, play a competitive sport, Wear the color yellow, Eat yellow food.

• Fourth Chakra (Connection): Hold hands, talk about how you feel, Buy yourself flowers, Take yourself on date, Tell someone you love them (and mean it), get a massage, Look in the mirror and say you love yourself just the way you are, Send yourself a valentine, Learn Reiki (healing touch), wear pink or Green. Eat plenty of fresh organic green fruits and vegetables.

• Fifth Chakra (Expression): Sing, Write, Draw, play an instrument, paint, talk to trusted friends, work with clay or wood, Go to an art gallery alone,  Read poetry, write a song, support local art, Verbally pass down a family tradition, writer a meaningful letter to yourself. Wear the color blue. 

• Sixth Chakra (intuition): Just breathe, Listen to your inner voice, Guess someone's astrological sign, Daydream, Start a dream journal, Pull a tarot card for each day and don't use the manual to find the "meaning" (trust your inner guidance), Candle gaze, Read an esoteric/metaphysical book, watch a fantasy film. Talk to the moon, Wear Purple, or white.

• Seventh Chakra (knowing): Meditate for 10-15 minutes a day, connect with your higher power, talk to an Angel (of the light) be still, listen, trust your inner knowing, connect with others, Think dreamy thoughts, Use rainbow prisms for healing, speak to the stars in the nighttime sky, practice positive affirmations, pray for yourself and others, write down your goals and ask your higher-self to help you achieve them. Wear Indigo, and gold.

Full Pink Moon In Libra Wellness (lunar eclipse)

A Full Moon that occurs between March 21, and April 20th will be in Libra. This year we will also experience a lunar eclipse taking place at the same time. A lunar eclipse happens only at the time of the full moon, when the Earth gets between the sun and moon and the moon appears to turn  blood red at midnight. The total eclipse will last less than 5 minutes, making it the shortest total lunar eclipse of the century, according to EarthSky.org. It's the third in a series of four total lunar eclipses, known as a tetrad, over a two-year period. The fourth occurs Sept. 28.

Saturday, the total eclipse occurs just before 8 a.m. eastern time. Just after that, the moon will be full  at 8:06 a.m. The first full moon of spring is known as the Pink Moon, Egg Moon, Grass Moon or Easter Moon.

• This Moon is good for rituals promoting:
• justice and fairness
• resolving breaches and enabling relationships to go smoothly.
• partnership
• legal matters
• love rituals
• airing differences
• creating tact
• balance & diplomacy
• healing the kidneys

with the moon in Libra focus on relationships, and artistic pursuits. All of your partnership activities will be heightened during this Moon. For those who are not in partnerships, there may be heightened feelings of loneliness, but be aware of superficial bonding to ease the pain/ fear of loneliness. The moon being in Libra it is an excellent time to throw a gathering or party because everyone will be extremely social and try to please and flatter each other. During this time, its important to find balance. Enjoy  celebration with others, but also leave some time for healing work.

An excellent preventative measure during the Libra moon that we can do for our bodies and especially on  our kidneys is drinking plenty of fresh water between the hours of 3 and 7pm in order to give the kidneys and bladder a good "rinse through". Nettle tea, is also a really soothing aid for the bladder and kidneys. Exercises for the pelvic region are also particularly beneficial at this time.

Stones: Aquamarine, Beryl, Bloodstone, Rose Quartz, Citrine, Orange Calcite, smoky quartz, and Amber.

Full Moon In Virgo Wellness

A Full Moon that occurs between February 19 and March 20 will be in Virgo. Use this moon for workings pertaining to:

• Getting organized
• Detoxifying your body
•  Cleaning up your home/office
• Reviewing what you have achieved.
• Catching up with small jobs, and daily matters
• Healing your digestive system

A full moon in Virgo offers us the  energy we need to really clean up our act, and in painstaking detail. During this time it is important for the cleaning of our living & work spaces, as well as our bodies as each of these aspects are one in the same. A cluttered home/office often represents a very cluttered mind. Giving your space a deep cleaning, with some much needed organizing will set your mind free, and have you feeling light as a feather. This also includes the healing of our bodies, and digestive tracts. The particular force of the Virgo days makes itself apparent in the activity of the digestive organs. This energy influences the large and small intestines, the spleen, and the pancreas.

After the Leo party, the Virgo moon says it's time to turn our attentions to matters of our health and hygiene. Start this Full Moon morning off with a nice warm cup of lemon water to hydrate and flush out toxins that cause  bloating/ constipation. Lemon Water is highly effective in alkalizing the body, as well as  a gently detoxifying. Steaming, Hot Yoga, dry brushing the skin, or giving yourself a clay mask are also some easy methods to detoxify while utilizing the energy of this moon to nurture and care for our physical bodies.

Emotionally, during the Virgo moon women are mentally active but there is a tendency to excessive criticism both of oneself and others. Use this time to go inward, to reflect on our personal relationships. This Virgo moon wants us to be of emotional service, now is the time to offer this to others. Because there is more inward energy in the Universe now, Virgo full moon is not the best time for a ritual, unless it's a healing circle which would work just fine. Keep it small!

Full Moon Mantra: "I willingly release all obstacles and impurities so that I may be a sacred container for this divine energy."

The Curandera

The Curandera is a short 7 minute piece featuring a lovely healer treating the children of her village all while explaining how she began her journey utilizing sacred plants and the traditions of her ancestors. The curandera/curandero dedicate their lives to the administration of remedies for mental, emotional, physical and spiritual illnesses based on their evaluations of their patients.

There are many different types of curanderas/curanderos. "Yerberos" are primarily herbalists. "Hueseros and Sobaderos" are bone/muscle therapists who emphasize physical ailments. "Parteras" are midwives. "Oracionistas" work primarily through the power of prayer.

Woman Who Glows in the Dark: A Curandera Reveals Traditional Aztec Secrets of Physical and Spiritual Health

By Elena Avila, Joy Parker

Buy on Amazon

Although many curanderas/curanderos do have a specialty and may identify with it, that does not mean that these healing modalities are necessarily strict and don't overlap. As an example, an oracionista may also be a powerful yerbera and so on. Elena Avila is the author of an excellent book on curanderismo titled Woman Who Glows In The Dark   it is definitely a must read for anyone interested in the day to day practices as well as the history and traditions of a modern curandera.