Written By: Chiara Luz Atoyebi
Aunt Caroline Dye Photo In The Public Domain
When it comes to African Americans taking control of their lives in any way that appears to reflect autonomy it becomes threatening. People coloring outside of the lines, going off of the beaten path, attempting to live outside of “groupthink” can appear suspect. However, a visionary’s job is to see what is coming and therefore it takes a few discerning individuals to be able to follow the signs of them that believe.
I have been on my spiritual path since the age of twelve. It began to shift into high gear at 13 and every five years thereafter. This last five years has been quite mind blowing in terms of intel and has caused me to finally answer the call by incorporating the wisdom of various interreligious elders with similar experiences as mine.
Pictured above is Aunt Caroline Dye. She was a 19th century healer, hoodoo woman, rental property investor, soothsayer, rootworker and conjuror from Arkansas. She was more like a prophet than a fortune teller and she used playing cards to keep her concentration straight. I have mentioned before in my writings, that it was a woman like this, and La Madama, that appeared in my home with a cleaning item ( a broom) pointing to cards on a shelf for me. At the time, I denied them. I was scared. Also, I felt it went against my beliefs. But as I studied the narratives of enslaved people in Puerto Rico, the Caribbean, the Sea Islands of America, Virginia, and the Carolinas–my people–we were the medicine women. We were the people with the answers. The people you don’t touch, even to this day. The day I touched my playing cards for myself, the sky looked brighter.
Since then, I have come into a oneness of self. I didn’t need to be “taught,” everything simply came to me. That’s the spirit of my heritage I am most proud of and a large part of what continues to change my countenance. I also believe that we need to be open spiritually and grounded in morality in order to discern and perceive resources and opportunities correctly. If not, we will continue to spin the wheel as we have always done. The salt of the Earth has produced many fruits but has eaten none and it’s time that has changed.
I love to travel and live in other countries. But there is no place like home. There is no place like America. As Americans, we are in the best place for opportunity. We are in the ripest season to rewrite and reshare all of the international dishes and cuisines at the table of opportunity and narrative history. The opportunity is here and the harvest is here. But, many of us are looking at the food and we can’t eat it. We can’t pick it up. We need to be reeducated and things need to be paced out. But first we have to clear our blocks and break our binds–daily. Every single day. That is why forgiveness is instant but healing takes time.
Although this work is not easy it is not necessarily arduous and you can have a good time doing it with family, culture and traditions. Remember these quotes by Mary Church Terrell and John F. Kennedy Jr.: “Lifting As We Climb” and “One person can make a difference, everyone should try.” Yes, that’s how I see it sometimes.
The Conjure Woman, by Charles W. Chestnutt is an interesting read. One that could almost echo todays societal voices.
The ancestors don’t desire for me to be as earthy as they were, but they do want me to help people as they did. Aunt Caroline drew people from all races to her seeking her wisdom and council. Many from over 400 miles away. I already get requests. Many more formal than I did in the past, and I like to imagine Aunt Caroline and many others watching over me.
