African Medicine Women,
Your Time Has Come!

Asara Tsehai initiated the African Medicine Women concept about 10 years ago and Sis. Sakinah Kinley took it and flew! With Sakinah leading the way our New Jersey group declared, “We are teachers, healers and priestesses” serving our community. Inspiring and very educational--something all communities should sponsor. In the beginning, our major focus was on learning about chakras. We would give presentations, such as the Het Heru dance, go on retreats together, and invite guest speakers to share their knowledge with us.

In keeping with the concept of synchronicity but completely separate from the African Medicine Women training, I received my sacred medicine bag from an indigenous healer and Sundancer. I attended the Healing Our Spirit Worldwide (HOSW) conference in Edmonton, Canada, in 2006, and was introduced to shaman Taj Johnson. During a very special pipe ceremony with two brother healers, herself, and me, she gave me a few gifts. The bag was one of them, and very personal to her. It still contains the healing herbs she gave me in it. I cherish the ceremony and symbolism in receiving this special gift bag, handmade of soft suede. I will never forget how it came to me or the giver, a very special Canadian shaman.

Click the Places button for information on next year's HOSW conference to be held in Ha'waii.

While attending African Medicine Women meetings over a five-year period, I also read many spiritual books that augmented what we were learning. Two favorites are the centerpiece of my spiritual medicine education.

The first is The Healers, by Ayi Kwei Armah. Get a copy and observe how this beautiful novel captures West Africa's colonial transformation and its impact on the grassroots, especially those who wrestled with being called to heal their community. The book lists the required characteristics of claimants to the challenging title of healer. These qualities will be listed when I update this site within the month, but suffice it to say that you cannot lie, steal, cheat, sleep the night; stuff like that.

The second book that stood out during my learning with the African Medicine Women is Self-Healing Power and Therapy by Dr. Bunseki Fu Kiau, a Kongolese doctor. My own ability to help heal others began to emerge in early 2007 when I submitted to a reiki attunement. Reading Fu Kiau's book I began to understand and deeply appreciate this ability as being innate in most of us.

These two books, and the experiences that grew around and through them, also brought to the surface what I am to share as a contribution to life. When I synchcronize the blog at niamomuid.com to this site, you can read about the trials I have endured.

I embrace my African Medicine Woman-ality and intend to unearth information about other African (and other indigenous heritage) Medicine Women and Men, products, services, and books related to holistic health. This is all part of a virtual 21st century apothecary, which is what The HealMobile is really all about.

The African Medicine Women of New Jersey are still meeting and I participate in some activities, such as the recent Pampering event sponsored by Peace and Pleasure Foundation (run by four African Medicine Women members). The annointed blessing of the experiences with my sisters will not be forgotten and only cherished as I journey forward on this HealMobile.

“A sense of spiritual oneness is the root of physical good health.”