Stephanie’s Sunday News

In a previous blog post, I told you some new developments were in the air but also said they weren't resolved. Today I want to share some news of upcoming events that are a cause for celebration.

New Book Deal

I am so happy to announce my 6th nonfiction book has found a wonderful publisher to call home.

"Mama Nature’s Spiritual Guide to Weight Loss: How Earth Rituals, Goddess Invocations, Incantations, Affirmations and Natural Remedies Enhance Any Weight Loss Plan,”

will be published in late 2014 by Punkin House.

Punkin House is an author-centered publishing house that will be moving more into publishing the types of spiritual and metaphysical titles I write. The publisher has a personal business style that includes being approachable while remaining a hands-on business woman. She is also a deeply spiritual Shaman and Yogi. From what I understand, Punkin House picked three authors to work with during this submission season. I am honored to be among them. I am hoping this is only the beginning of a long association with Punkin House.

“Mama Nature’s Spiritual Guide to Weight Loss” will be the third book that I not only write but also illustrate. I will share some of the illustrations at this Virtual Studio blog. In this guide book, you will find prayers based on Earth-based Spirituality, invocations to helpful goddesses, spells and magical incantations, daily affirmations and numerous natural remedies such as: herbs, natural waters, hydrosols, essential oils, bath soaks, crystals, incense, to assist your weight loss work from the more spiritual side. Even exercise activities, more attuned to earth-based spirituality, like Yoga, Tai Chi and Belly Dancing, will be included.

(Woman Making Shea Butter)

A Summer Workshop

I am also pleased to announce here that I am offering an herbal healer’s workshop in New York this summer. Here is a description:

African American Healer’s Medicine Kit

When enslaved Africans were brought to the Americas and Caribbean, they transported a rich stock pile of plant wisdom with them. Africans of various tribal groups, who specialized in planting, cultivation, processing and the medicinal applications of specific plants were eagerly sought out. As people of African descent continue to settle in the United States, our understanding and use of a plethora of herbs from the Motherland, and their healing medicines, continues to expand. African American herbalist and author, Stephanie Rose Bird, shares historical through contemporary African healing treasures from the diaspora in this hands-on workshop. Healing balms, brews and elixirs will be created to soothe the body, mind and spirit.

Herbs used include: pine, cocoa butter, shea butter, hibiscus flowers, rooibos, aloe vera, cayenne, mullein, frankincense, myrrh and more.

(Aloe Vera)

This workshop will be offered July 19, 2014 at New York Open Center. For more information check the New York Open Center Website for summer course offerings when they are announced. I will also write more about this workshop as the time comes closer here and on my author website. You can call to register here: 212-210-2527 extension 2.

(Cocoa)

This workshop echoes my previously published books that center around wellness, mind, body, spirit and African American herbalism including: A Healing Grove Four Seasons of Mojo and The Big Book of Soul. I will be signing my books in New York Open Center Bookstore, after the workshop.

I am hoping to see some of you that have shared my journey through this blog at the workshop. It is easy to get to, being just a few blocks away from Grand Central Station in New York.

Follow Fest Interview and Sharing

When I first became a blogger it was difficult to know if I had readers and visitors coming to my blog. I’d post and be met by the sounds of crickets. Then, I branched out into the world of the blogosphere, a world I didn't know really existed. From my ventures, I met a lot of interesting bloggers. I've started following and commenting on numerous blogs, for you see, prior to my outings, I too was out among the crickets. Lurking about but seldom saying anything. A fellow blogger I've met through my journeys around the blogosphere is Melissa Maygrove . She had the brilliant idea to have a Follow Fest , where we share about who we are, what we do and most importantly, how you can connect with us further. It is my intention through joining Follow Fest, that I’ll connect with many more readers and people interested enough in what I do to want to learn more by following. So, here goes my entry for the fest. Name: Stephanie Rose Bird Fiction or

Gran Bwa

Gran Bwa is a lwa that helps you connect to ancestral roots or the spiritual home of Vodou. A friend of mine, who is an expert on Haitian Vodou, who has spent a lot of time in Haiti with the artists there, told me I had painted Gran Bwa when I made this spontaneous work out of walnut ink and sumi-ink on handmade paper. I had considered this painting a self-portrait. She now holds this piece in her private collection: Quite a few people are afraid of Vodou but it is an awe-inspiring tradition of bringing together plant energy with divinity, spiritual and personal energy. My friend who is very involved with Vodou, especially the art that surrounds it, is from European ancestry. She is light in spirit and bubbly, with a close relationship to nature and her garden. Vodou affirms the relationships between cycles of life, trees of knowledge and spirit. The Vodou vision of lwa , understands them as the intelligence of energy present in humans, nature and thoughts. Mysteries ca

Xochitl--Flower

(Winter Poinsettia by Stephanie Rose Bird, oil on wood) One of my Facebook friends does daily posts and shares called "I love Flowers." I love flowers too, in real life, in my garden, in paintings and as they are related to the gods and goddesses, in healing, as well as their use in folklore like Hoodoo. Not long ago I posted about Xochipelli (Sho-CHEE-pee-lee) prince of flowers and Xochiquetzal (Sho-CHEE-ket-zul) goddess of flowers in anticipation of April's blooming season. The Goddess and Prince of Flowers post is here. Today, I want to focus in on the root word of their names and it's symbolism. This word is Xochitl (Show-CHEE-tul) in the Nahuatl language of the Aztecs. This word means flower. ( Frida Kahlo "Self Portrait Dedicated to Dr. Eloesser) In many different belief systems there are nature gods and goddesses connected with flowers. Flowers possess symbolism,

Stephanie's Studio

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