#twocc

All profits made from this zine will be donated to the Trans Women of Color Collective. TWOCC strives to empower trans and gender non-conforming people and your purchase of LOVE FOOLS will directly support their cause !

I’m opening donation commissions for a limited time! Flat colored bust drawings like the ones above are 30 USD, all proceeds will go to the Trans Women of Color Collective! 🌟 

I spent some time thinking about how to start doing free readings in a way that felt purposeful and meaningful for my communities. I realize that I want to become a community rootworker, someone who practices traditional African American hoodoo and divination for free to support our community and make a social impact. 

I will be offering two types of free readings:

Need-based readings, for folks in urgent situations who need serious help or assistance via divination.

Impact readings, which are available for anyone willing to donate at least $5 to an organization that I support! 

You can read more about how to request either of these free readings here! Please do not send me a reading request without following the instructions <3

Why not use divination as a tool to provide wisdom, support, and guidance, but also as a way to support our community? Every week, I will choose a different organization to boost and share with yall that I hope you will donate $5 or more to receive an Impact Reading! This week I want to highlight the Trans Women of Color Collective...

TWOCC exists to create revolutionary change by uplifting the narratives, leadership, and lived experience of trans people of color. Historically, trans women of color have been the catalyst of change for social justice movements, yet we continue to be impacted by structural oppression. 

TWOCC is a one of a kind organizing collective that develops and amplifies the leadership of trans women of color to be the writers of our own narratives. We believe that the voices of those most impacted by structural oppression must be at the forefront of our movement.

Donate to the Trans Women of Color Collective!

In honor of Black History Month, HPA-DC is sharing some of our Local Hero Cards featuring people who have made a difference in our city.

Hey there! Glad you think so and thanks for helping with that goal by donating to the Trans Women of Color Collective :) I love to use my African American Tarot deck for everything related to ancestors. I asked three questions about how you can better connect to your ancestors and family traditions.

You received Two of Wands reversed on the topic of connecting with your ancestors. The card art depicts the West African demon that posses newborn babies, called the Obambou. There is a belief that when the dead are not buried properly and well taken care of, their spirits can turn into Obambou who enter infants’ bodies and cause them to go mad and wild. It’s going to be essential for you to be proactive about learning your culture’s specific ancestral customs and ways of working with ancestors. Research and study as much as you can so that you can create a traditional altar that they are happy with. Make sure to give offerings and tend to their altar consistently. This card speaks of an impending risk in the way that you work with them if you aren’t careful and sensitive to their needs.

For honoring your family traditions, the Emperor appeared. In this deck, he is Olorun, the owner of the sky and heaven (Orun) in Yoruba religion. It is a title of the Supreme God and creator of the universe. I’m getting a strong sense here about monotheism and perhaps even Abrahamic religions. If your family practices one of these religions, even if it isn’t consistent with your beliefs, you may want to consider honoring some of the important traditions related to that. I’m also sensing a strong patriarch and/or patrilineal traditions in your family from this card.

Lastly, I asked about what offering you could provide for your ancestors and received the Tower, who is Gaunab - the South African deity of evil who causes misfortune, disaster, and death. The good news is that the previous two cards provide some guidance on what to do, the bad news is that this card is to me a very strong indicator that your ancestors may not be too pleased with you at the moment. Maybe you are feeling lost, in conflict, or uncomfortable with family or your family line right now - or maybe it’s that your ancestors have been wanting attention and time from you that you haven’t yet given them. The “offering” being asked for here is to wash away whatever has been holding you back like a destructive flood that clears obstacles but also cleanses. I recommend some deep meditation or reflection on what these tensions may be and to make some plans to begin working with your ancestors more closely.

Just cracked open a coconut and prayed to my ancestors to get ready for some divination this evening :D I have five readings waiting in my inbox at the moment, so it’s time to get to work! Then I’ll be closing out with an Obi reading with Egun for myself to get some personal guidance and direction.

So far, $25 has been raised for the Trans Women of Color Collective so I’m excited about that :) Tomorrow I’ll be posting next week’s highlighted organization for impact readings... stay tuned!

For now, get ready to see these impact and need-based readings popping up this evening, and if you’re interested in getting one yourself check out the links below. Will be able to get to any new requests next weekend!

Hi there! Thanks so much for supporting the Trans Women of Color Collective :) My Buddha Tarot deck has been great in the past on readings related to past lives, so I used it to ask about the past life you’ve been connecting with and what you need to know going forward.

The main theme of your reading is ACTION. You received the Ace of Double Vajras, which is the emblem of karma. Karma in Sanskrit means action, it is what we choose to do that is driven by our intentions and followed by reactions or consequences that often match our intentions in some way. I drew other cards after these three for clarity on this and they were from the Double Vajra suit as well. All calling for you to take action related to this past life. I sense that there is a motherly or mother-figure related to this action, but only you know the specifics of this. My deck decided it was enough to encourage you to take action, especially if there’s already something you’ve been considering doing and doubting yourself on related to this past life.

As for guidance on this past life going forward, my deck provided some warnings to you about getting overly caught up in it the wrong way.

The Death card speaks to the fact that we all die at some point. Our bodies in this lifetime are temporary, and it is necessary to accept this even though it can be difficult to comprehend and unpleasant to think about. Studying past lives can help us understand why we are here in this life and how we can grow spiritually, but it can also hinder us sometimes from appreciating the present moment and current lifetime. Our lives here are fleeting, and it’s important to both appreciate them and remember that they will not last forever.

The last card, Judgment, refers to the Buddha Gautama’s first sermon about the Four Noble Truths. The important lesson for you there is to understand that there is no perfect life. Your past lives had their ups and downs, so does this one, and so will future lives. You will not have a perfect next life without pain and hardship just as you have had in this life too - no matter what past connections you are able to rekindle. Enjoy connecting with your past life, but don’t let “the grass is greener on the other side” misconception make you get too caught up in any life other than your current one.