Let's start with this photo. I went on my phone to retrieve a photo of me wearing an amber velvet dress standing in front of the SS wall. It seemed fitting and very on brand :) and when I opened my photo albums this photo was there, the first thing I noticed was the date because I needed an explanation as to how my phone just chose this photo. Never received that explanation. I took this September 9, 2018. Well, that's pretty on brand. Never noticed at that time that I wore a blue top and a long yellow skirt. It rained really heavy that day too. I was visiting the Candy Pop up Museum with my family in NYC. I never shared this photo because for a long time up until I opened SS I never publicly shared my devotion to my beliefs and in this photo my necklace is visible. I was originally going to share how I got to devoting and honoring the Orishas, specifically my connection to Yemaya & Oshun but finding this photo has shifted my thoughts and so I want to honor that and maybe someone really needs THIS story instead.

In 2012, I decided I wanted to change my life. I was living fast and fun. I attracted many hurdles, many pains and much abuse and I later realized it was because I wasn't facing true reality but instead only facing it when it hurt. I took a lot for granted because I believed the root cause was outside of me and now that I think of it- it was because I wasn't paying attention. If its a root, its you. Only you can root yourself and plant and grow where you ground. I was grounding myself in places that didn't allow me to shine but rather just decorated me when I wasn't feeling my best. I needed to nurture my soul and so I woke up one morning, February 14th 2012 to be exact and said I am rebirthing. I am no longer going to live to live but rather I will choose where and how I desire to live. Nothing profound or specific happened that day, the night before or anything, I think it was just a collective of years that caught up to me. From that day I moved different, I spoke different. I started making promises to myself, I started honoring my feelings and encouraging myself to grow in places that showed promise to my true being. In me living this way I acted out as a filter for my own life, my own world, my own peace. I started losing friends, I gained a new love, I lost the ugly parts of me and gained appreciation of all the talents and passion in me. I went through it, I really did. It wasn't all sun and full moons. I drowned quiet a few times but I survived. That year my mom asked me to dedicate myself to the religion but I knew the responsibility that would be so I decided to float instead of swim. I changed my lifestyle, I began to work on my mental, my physical and self love before rising to such an occasion. It took me 5 years to finally say "I'm ready" to dedicate. Sometime in November of 2017 I received my initiation including learning about my life, past life and future. It all connected for me. As life plays out it still connects. At first I use to be so confused about my tribulations but I started to notice a very real pattern. I have never been in the position where I didn't receive something bigger, greater or healthier after pain. I started to realize that it was my perspective. Pain wasn't pain. Pain was actually frustration because it didn't go as I thought was a better choice for me. That ideal changed my life. Whenever I cried it was because I was unsure about the next or worried but once I trained myself to see that I am whole, I am doing right by all that there is truly nothing to worry about. I started to attract what I exuded and what I did (both good and bad) so I just chose to be good. Whenever an annoyance came my way, I would dissect it to its root and realize it was something I attracted or needed to be sharper for the next level of my life which is always greater than the last.

The inspiration for my Estuary ritual came from pain, pain I felt I couldn't turn around because I was consumed with the feeling of not being in charge of my life. You know World restrictions, politics and what I can and cannot do with my children to navigate the physical world. I sat with myself and reached out to my guides and dreamt the entire ritual for 2 weeks. Literally, they came to me every night for 10 days and told me exactly what to do and so I did for myself. This was last year. When I moved into my new home the first 3 nights I would have the same nightmare and so I reached out again and asked what can I do to help the people in my nightmare they came into that realm and led me through the ocean on a sea turtle and told me exactly what to do. I began the process. A couple months later I lost my family turtle and didn't understand the correlation but I knew it was there. Later that week I dreamt exactly why. That I'll keep to myself but in all in all I know my purpose is to carefully guide and to honor the gifts I receive.

With this ritual you will bask and wash away all you need so that you can move in the speed intended to enjoy the journey as it is the actual parts that brings joy, lessons, love and self realization. The destination is simply rest, its not the ultimate goal. You will connect to the energies I love, I honor, I sacrificed for, I celebrate and they will help me help you to help yourself. I honored the basking for 90 days and gave each offering the spiritual attention needed to connect to Spirit. With your exchange I will celebrate the energies at Chalet of Charms. They will feast and I can close out the ceremonies needed before the new year. Yemaya & Oshun will guide you through what you need and what you desire. My gifts on Earth include fertility. I normally share that if asked but never solicit, with this basking I am sharing as I was told to. If your desire is to conceive life I can guide you. It is not an obligation but a recommendation to receive a reading. As I have stated in my LIVE it doesn't have to be me. If you have someone you go to regularly for Spiritual readings, I recommend you continue with them. Readings are sacred and depending on who you go to they are connected to your spirit through the spirits they use. Feel free to mention me, my name and see if I am fitting for you. I do not do readings regularly. This reading I am offering will ONLY be for the Estuary. I personally treat readings as a sacred practice and would rather you feel at ease and connected to spirit rather than just an answer.

With all my love in all ways, always because I don't know any other way

Ray

I'm more of a reader and that's why I'm more inclined to write before anything but I understand that we're all not the same and just as we need different tools for different skill sets including learning and digesting information from others here is a link you can watch and listen to hear more about Yemaya & Oshun.