The "Hennaglyphics: How to Henna," author event at Lost City Books in Washington, DC was fabulous! I know, I know. You might be like, "What? You wrote a book?" Yessss!!! "Hennaglyphics: How to Henna," just released Spring 2022. I didn't get to blog about this 5 year process. So it may feel like a total time bleep, but that's what happens when you are balancing mothering, wifing, homeschooling, cooking, housekeeping, and a wellness business. But, hey, no worries, I'm going to catch you up and if you need a faster update, you can always check my social media: hennaglyphics on IG & FB.

One of our major author events of the Summer was Body Art & Books at Lost City Books. Empress (Kidist James), my sistarfriend, joined me on the panel for the discussion of "Hennaglyphics." She is a Podcaster, YouTuber, Jewelry Designer and Co-Owner of the Vintage Clothing Store and Cafe Shop WnWnn(Waste Not Want Not) in The Gambia. Presently she is documenting her repatriation, building projects and homesteader journey to The Gambia on her YouTube Channel "Global Green Book". She is also the creator of TIEbyKidist, a lifestyle brand focusing on "Bridging Two Worlds Together, The Diaspora & African." Moreover, she has been with me on this henna journey for years as a client and she has read the book. So it was great to have her input on this new release. Connect with her on youtube, ig, or fb. 

DC gave us a warm welcome and we enjoyed it to the fullest. Some of the places we visited was Swahili Village, Bus Boys & Poets, and Sankofa Book Store. "Hennaglyphics: How to Henna," is now in stock & available on the Rites of Passage Institute website and Lost City Books!

Check out the videos below for the recap where we discuss the parts of the book "Hennaglyphics."

We traveled all around the world with the Mute the (dominant) Mic event with the Global Fashioning Assembly at the North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA). This event was in person and virtual. Societies are just now learning to value crafts/art, such as Henna Body Art, created by and dominated by women especially melanated/indigenous women. Discussing the journey of Henna Body Art in a museum felt like putting something in it's rightful place and giving it the proper respect. Henna has been a language and a voice for women for over 6,000 years and it's time that it be heard. A huge thanks to NCMA especially Dr. Amanda Maples for providing such a platform. Learn more about the journey of Henna Body Art in our new book release "Hennaglyphics: How to Henna." 

We are thrilled to announce that the Henna Hands photography series is now at the Golden Belt Arts Campus in Building 2 next to YaYa Tea (807 E Main St Ste 2-150, Durham, NC 27701) in Downtown Durham. Please come out and show your support. And if you order me an oolong boba tea (almond milk, tapioca pearls) and crab rice ball I will magically appear! Lol! 

The exhibit goes until the end of December 2022. Every Third Friday is the Downtown Durham Art Walk and the Goldenbelt Campus is always alive with activities, artists, restaurants, galleries, and all the best of downtown Durham. I, Shemora Sheikh, will be in the house for Third Friday November 18 at 5pm for Open Reception. Meet me there to discuss the Henna Hands photography series and my recent art textbook "Hennaglyphics."

While you are here you might as well embark upon the Henna Hands Photography Series Henna Scavenger Hunt.  

Cant explain what an honor it was to be part of my nieces Rites of Passage Celebration. It is my sacred duty to stand by my sisters & help 2 prepare our youth. Ase!
A rites of passage helps give a child the tools to advance to the next stage, reinforces their connection to the community, creates a network, preserves our traditions/culture...

Rites of Passages are not just about a change in one's age, but preparing the person for the next phase of life and to partake in society life as a whole being. Rites of Passage Institute has been facilitating Rites of Passages for boys, girls, adults for 10 years. 

Boys Rites of Passage
Girls Rites of Passage
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If you are interested in our Rites of Passage Programs please click the links listed above. The girls rites has 3 levels including the 1st Moon Ceremony (the onset of monarch or 1st period). We recommend the Moontracking Class for girls who have started menstruating. The boys rites has 3 levels. Get a birds eye view of the levels HERE. The Adult Mentorship Programs (Women's Reflection, Men's Pillar) will be available in 2022.

Wraps Stars was honored to be part of the Black History Month program for the Raleigh Chapter of AAN (African Ancestry Network) of Lexis Nexis. Thank you to Exotique Boutique for providing African fabric/headwraps and art. This was the whole experience with soul food, the Drum Phophet, & a presentation by the DC African American Museum. Bring the Wrap Stars Headwrapping Workshop to your organization/group. Learn more HERE.

Our son started a new business this summer!! His business is called Polaroid Pal. He's been an avid collector of vintage cameras for years, but Polaroid Pal started when he came across an old school Polaroid Camera in pristine condition at the thrift store. It cost $30 and I was skeptical if we could operate it, get film, or if it would work at all! But he looked at me with those deep brown eyes, so we got it. It has been such a blessing! During a time that many children were dealing with isolation, consuming unprecedented amounts of screen time, and disruption of education, our son, ahumdilAllah, was building a business. We are so proud of him. 

So what is Polaroid Pal? Basically, he takes people's picture with his Polaroid camera in Downtown Durham Friday & Saturday afternoons. 

It's so much more than that though. With Downtown Durham recently becoming a hub for social activism art, outdoor dining, and more as it struggles to reopen, Polaroid Pal has been able to provide a safe outlet for our son, for others, and capture this unique period of time. Every Friday and Saturday our son jumps up, is meticulous about his hair and clothes being professional and how he packs and cares for his equipment. We love that he his spending time outdoors in the sun, fresh air, and keeping his body active. With the help of his Aunt Angela he has created an Excel Spreadsheet to manage his earnings, expenses,  and profits. He is thinking of ways to invest his money. He is challenging himself by building up his confidence, learning how to talk to people, and thinking of ways to expand and market his business. He has leveled up.

We are very grateful to businesses like Exotique Boutique and many other downtown businesses that have been supporting and cheering our son on. Thank you!!

Entrepreneurship is an enriching experience for children. I'm excited about what businesses our other 2 starseeds will come up with. Meanwhile, please drop our son a word of encouragement below and like his FB page Polaroid Pal HERE.

I'm excited about my period bc I got Thinx. They r period panties. No, not your ugly stained underwear that you only wear when you are on your period so u don't mess up ur pretty panties, but cute padded panties that soak up ur blood and are leak proof. When done throw them in the washer n use again, so we can b good to Mother Nature. I've been using cloth pads, so why didn't I do this sooner? I love em, especially bc im a free-bleeder--I just put on my padded panties n keep it moving. Have u tried em yet? Share ur experience. If u want 2 try em, use my discount code:
http://ref.thinxify.me/v/fireinthedark

We have to get back to a period positive culture. It is common in mainstream society to see periods as dirty, inconvenient, weakness, etc. However, this is a natural part of us. Our 1st home is a woman and if it wasn't for periods, none of us would be here. Instead of pushing through your period and acting like it's not happening, use the time to relax and listen to your body. Did you know how you feel about your period and how you honor it relates to how you experience your period (PMS, cramps, heavy, long, etc). For example, if you see your period as a staycation, chill, reflect, detox (basically a positive experience), then you are more likely to have pain-free, short, light periods. Mindset is powerful! You may have to dig deep though, some period issues can stem from how you felt when you had your 1st bleed, how your loved ones treated you. But it's not too late to set the record straight and reprogram your experience and pay it forward by celebrating your daughters first bleed, you can break the cycle and she can be off a to positive start. We have 1st Moon Bags & Girls Rites of Passage Programs. If you have a daughter who is ready for her Rites of Passage check out our program HERE.
#moontime #moontimerituals
#ilovemymoon #ilovemyperiod
#ilovemyuterus #ilovemywomb
#freebleeder

How do you honor your moontime (period)? I'm excited about my moon time bc I have pretty sage to set my sacred space. When I'm on my period I set up my chill spot. I like to smudge my chill spot to set my mind at ease. All meals, naps, phone calls, reading, journaling, etc happen in this chill spot while I'm on my moon. I literally leave a dent in the couch. Do u have a moontime ritual?

When I teach bellydance, I teach language, vocabulary, history--I tell stories, we sing songs. I also promote sisterhood, so we may end class with a brunch, attend community bellydance events together, party at Afro Soca Love, have a yoni steam circle, hafla, Full Moon Ceremony, etc. I work to create space for us to bond, but also for self-reflection and empowerment. There's a real comraderie among the Pink Moon BellyDance students and families and once you are part of the Shimmy Sisterhood it's an everlasting connection. Pink Moon BellyDance Students come to class with a journal. We start every class with a reflection, vocabulary, and dance notation. Register for bellydane class HERE.

Nothing says, “My children are growing up!” like a chore chart! I guess we are leaving the baby phase! My youngest is 4 and my oldest is 11. Also, I started to realize that I was repeating the same stuff every day, “clean up your room, update your calendar, take out the trash!” I needed a robot!! But since a chore chart is cheaper, I went with that. 

At first, I was thinking I would hang a color-coded poster board with chores listed and mark each day with stickers. Or buy one of those calendar dry erase boards with magnets that you see on Pinterest. But I didn’t want to call it “chores,” “Jobs,” or mommy’s helpers. How do you expect anyone to get excited about anything called “chores?” or about being “the help.” Then there are child labor laws, jk, lol! The chore chart is bigger than that. I don’t want my children to do the chores because I say so, but because they want too (intrinsic motivation, character development, umoja, ujima)!!! (insert giffy of light shining) I want them to see the interconnectedness. How doing a “chore” or self-help develops them as individuals (mind, body, and spirit) and helps us reach our goals as a family. However, as the idea for the title developed, so did the chart. 

The chore chart became a chakra chart. And the chart became a personalized chakra interfacing system. Birthing the Chakra Interface System (CIS)!!!
I created a monster!!

Before you accuse me of overdosing on Yerba Mate & Kola Nuts, which is probably true, hear me out!! 

Sure! Slapping a poster on the wall would have been easier, but as I stated before I’m trying to “grow humans” here (as In-Tune Mother Project would say)! My intention in parenting and educating my children is not to reproduce employees aka “the help.” The belief of women as baby-making factories supplying the nation's’ factories is a bullet-ridden train hobbling through the black hole of patriarchy. I say, I decide what missions for which to guide my starseeds. The 1st Teacher: Neuro Nurturing series is committed to nurturing the whole child (mind, body, and soul). This vlog is just a preview into the entire series full of meaningful parenting and homeschooling hacks.

I saw the chore chart as an opportunity to build character, purpose, critical thinking skills, and literacy.
The CIS:

1. Is interactive/kinetic/visual: if you want to teach children, appeal to their senses/sensory. The Chakra Interfacing System (CIS) makes the child move. She has to move her body to sort and shift the daily chores/assignments. Movement invokes memory and is FUN! Sensory is also brain-based appealing to the multiple intelligences.
2. Strengthens parent-child bond: the CIS provides a healthy way for the parent and child to communicate with each other. My child lets me know she did the chore by hanging it on the chart. I acknowledge her activities by tallying the Chakra Cards and offering a Privilege Card. Of course, there’s good old-fashioned yelling, but I’m too pretty for that! Lol.
3. Promotes literacy and increases vocabulary. The picture of the activity (chore/study/pray) is on one side of the card, while the word is written on the other.
4. Is personal. The children feel connected and excited about the CIS because I used photos of them in it. It also gives a sense of ownership. “This is mine and my responsibility!” instead of “there goes Mom imposing her imperial rule on us.”
5. It’s culturally appropriate and creates a true worldview. Not only did I use photos of them, so they see melanated children, but I also used photos/clip art from around the world. Therefore, it boosts their self-esteem, again develops a sense of ownership, and develops a sense of connectiveness with the African diaspora, Ummah, and the world at large. Representation matters!!
6. Promotes Umoja/Unity/Family Loyalty/Cooperative Learning. On a regular chore chart, each individual is striving (competitive) to get the most stickers or to check off a list. But with the CIS my children teach and help each other learn the system and complete the tasks. They actually divvy up the task among themselves. At the end of the day we tally up individual scores, but we also tally the total composite score for all 3 of them. They strive to reach an overall total number, not just individual. They check on each other and cheer each other on.
7. Democracy/Negotiation. Promotes critical thinking skills because I left some of the chakra and privilege cards blank. They are not limited to the activities listed on the Chakra Cards and they can create new privileges.
8. It’s spiritual. The CIS teaches the chakras (energy centers important for health and balance) & 7 Kwanza principles. The cards have chores, school assignments, and spiritual practices (i.e. prayer, dhikr, yoga, going on a walk). This teaches that maintaining/feeding the spirit is important. Our body has rights over us; self-care, reaching one’s full potential.
9. Fits different parenting styles (authoritarian, authoritative, free-spirited, etc). It can be parent-led (for younger children, special needs, etc) or child-led (those ready for more independence etc). The parent can hang the Chakras they want completed and then the child will hang them on the lower 3rd hook upon completion. Or, the child can take the chakra activates directly from the cup and hang it on the appropriate chakra hooks as completed.
10. Focus on completion (one’s full potential) versus standard definition of success as only material things and titles, you as a human matter. Building your higher self. Instead of focusing on chores/jobs, CIS focuses on chakras. As mentioned before, CIS includes physical, intellectual, and spiritual activities.

Points to Remember:

• Parents don’t always have to offer a privilege.
• What is considered a privilege in your home?
• What type of people are you trying to raise?
• This Tribe Neuro VLOG article is an example of a "1st Teacher" video. The Version in the subscription involves more detail and resources than the vlog version and includes consultation. Please help Rites of Passage Institute to keep providing women's wellness and family education services by enriching your family with the "1st Teacher" Video Subscription!!

Free Download Links mentioned in video:
Chess Cards
Alphabet Cards

Chakra Resources
Chakra Bear
Free Chakra Coloring
Free Yoga Printables
Chakra scavenger hunt
Chakra bingo
Chakra System:
Major channels through which life force flows into physical body; mediating channels between astral and physical bodies associated with major glands (endocrine system) and acupuncture points.

I turned to my husband and asked him if he thought it was ok to get the doll for our daughter. He said no. I threw it in the cart anyway. When I got to the register, I gave it to the cashier and told her I wasn’t buying it. Once I got in the car, my daughter being an immature warrior princess said, “Where’s my doll?” I had no idea she’d been paying attention. I had got something for everyone, but her. My husband told me to get the doll if I wanted it. So, I ran back in the store and bought them. 

​I still wasn’t satisfied though. That night I went online and searched how to give a doll an Afro.  A plethora of videos, blogs, etc. appeared. The process looked a bit arduous. What could I do to make it more fun?  In the midst of all this doll business, I had been wrecking my brain for a way to get my daughter around other girls her age. You see she has 2 big brothers and most of my friends have boys. Therefore, she is always around boys, and trust me she holds her own, but I want her to be well-rounded. 

​I posted it on social media and it was an instant hit. People wanted to do it! I got a lot of interesting responses. One woman messaged me that her daughter didn’t have any African dolls. I thought that was interesting. No matter what ethnic group you belong to, living in multicultural America, why not have dolls of various ethnic groups, colors, shades, facial features, hair types? I love that we live in a country where such options are available. There’s no excuse. But I let her know that the doll did not have to be African or of African descent. Like white people don’t have Afros!