Shining Star

My Ohmie, Star, is a reiki and crystal healer, womb wellness worker, and yoga instructor. She’s got a super sweet energy and shines on everyone she meets.

S01E08 - Star - Ohmies Pod

Jewell [00:00:01] My Ohmie, Star, is a reiki and crystal healer, womb wellness worker, and yoga instructor. She's got a super sweet energy and shines on everyone she meets. I hope you enjoy this mat chat about crystals, yoni wands, womb work, and healthy sexual expression. Step inside the Ohmies Studio. [Yoga Wit the Ohmies Outro Music]

Jewell [00:00:21] We can just jump right into this convo. Talk to me about your introduction to crystal healing, and then how did you build your business around that?

Star [00:00:31] OK, so and it's a funny thing. I always laugh when I when I talk about this. But I remember years and years and years ago when I first joined Instagram, I would see all these people doing yoga and everyone had these bracelets on. So I'm like, what is happening? Right? Like, what am I not what am I not knowing? And I would see them. And I was like, OK, let me let me look some of this stuff up. And I was like, "oh they're crystals!" -let me look that up. And it kind of was like a domino effect. Then I just started learning more and I was like, oh, crystal healing! Oh, this is a thing? You know? And it was also me looking for things that I wanted and not finding exactly what I wanted or finding things that I really like. And the prices were outrageous and either I could not afford it or was like, "should I really be spending as much money!?" You know? And so I was like, you know what, "I'm pretty crafty. Let me see if I can make some of these bracelets." And I started doing that and I did it for myself, and I remember a friend of mine who was like, "you should really sell these!" And I was like, "no, that's not really why I did it." You know like, I just wanted to make some things for myself and she was like, "Nope! I really think you should do it." And it kind of just started from there. I started selling on Etsy and honestly using social media, using Instagram to bring business and to increase the clientele. And it's has been really good. But honestly, what really, really makes a difference is when I have opportunities to vend. And one of those opportunities very early on was with you.

Jewell [00:02:17] Oh, yes!!

Star [00:02:22] And, you know, like when you're able to bring these items [crystals] in front of people and they're able to see them, touch them and maybe even feel the energy from them, it really makes a difference. And honestly, connecting with people face to face, there's nothing like it

Jewell [00:02:40] Yeah!! cause you have such great energy too, so that always adds to the experience to vending and shopping at your tables.

Star [00:02:47] I appreciate you.

Jewell [00:02:49] It's so crazy how that crystal energy will really draw you in. It is like your hands will pull you towards the crystal that is perfect and right for you. It's it's really powerful stuff.

Star [00:03:00] It really is! It really is. And I'm honestly like I'm just so grateful to be able to do it. And, you know, of course, working with crystals over the years, I've become more familiar with the energies and working with the crystals myself and really just seeing how magical they are and the fact that it's a real thing. Like it really helps with healing. It helps with alignment. It's just beautiful. And I'm grateful that it's one of the things that I get to do. You know?

Jewell [00:03:33] Do you have a favorite crystal?

Star [00:03:35] Oh girl! A favorite?! It's so hard.

Jewell [00:03:38] [Laughing] I know that's like an impossible question. OK, give me like a few of yours that you just love. Just a few. [Laughing]

Star [00:03:45] OK, so I'm going to the first one I'm going to say is Citrine because that was one of the first ones that I was attracted to and one of the first stones that I got. And I was like, you know, it was originally like the color so pretty or like this looks so nice. And then when learning about it and I was like, oh, this is going to help me with manifestation?! [laughing] Let's do this! So that's always an all-time favorite. Another one of my actually more recent favorites is the Mookaite Jasper, which I know--

Jewell [00:04:23] OMYGOD YESSS!!!! That is my favorite! One of my favorites for sure.

Star [00:04:26] Isn't it just so good?!

Jewell [00:04:28] Yes, I was. I love that you brought that up. I left. I have an uncle that lives in Rochester and I left a piece of Mookaite Jasper on Frederick Douglass gravesite, which is also in Rochester. And so I hope that it's still there and yall aint touch that Mookaite Jasper! That was left for my ancestor. OK, I love the ancestral healing of that stone. I love the deep, deep colors of the... Sometimes it could be that deep rich mustard yellow or it can have the tints of red in it. Oooo I love it! I love it! That one is one of my favorites for sure. [laughing]

Star [00:05:06] Girl! Mookaite Jasper is definitely poppin!!! [laughing] It's such a good stone! And then of course the all known, Rose Quartz, because, you know, my whole thing is to live from love. And I definitely feel like Rose Quartz helps you to do that. And then lastly, I will say Apatite, which is that very beautiful blue stone that kind of looks like the ocean.

Jewell [00:05:35] OK! come on, throat chakra!!

Star [00:05:39] Yesss Come Through!! But that one is actually also really good for help you with focusing. And, you know, sometimes we do a lot and it's easy to kind of, you know, lose focus sometimes. So that stone has actually really helped me. So I'm going to say that those are my four favorites.

Jewell [00:05:57] I love that!! Thank you for sharing!

Star [00:05:58] Yes, I know you said Mookaite is one of your favorites, and I am curious to know, what are some of your other favorites?

Jewell [00:06:05] I really love my Moon Stone. I have a couple. I have one that's pure white and the one that's. And what do you it ob-? I can never say the word. It starts with an O. O-B- Oblique? [giggling]

Star [00:06:17] Oh, yes! Obelisk!

Jewell [00:06:18] [laughing] so I have one that's in that shape and it has these really pretty like gray... I don't even know like waves of color that go throughout it. It's so beautiful. Those are my favorites, so I probably use those the most and. Yeah! I have a little stone altars all around my house, so I have all of my purple stones like my amethyst and a really purple smoky quartz that I love by pictures of my dad, and then I have my Mookaite Jaspers by I have a picture of my christening with my dad, my grandma and my mom. And so that's there. I have a really pretty like Rose Quartz, kind of little altary place by my main front table that has pictures of my grandparents and my great grandparents on there. So, yeah. So those are probably some of my favorites, the ones that kind of adorn the little altar spaces around my house.

Star [00:07:17] Love, love, love that.

Jewell [00:07:20] Yeah! so what got you into yoga, and what was that very first experience like getting on the mat? Do you remember that?

Star [00:07:27] So I was thinking about this and it's funny because I'm going to date myself, but it's all good. Do you remember the Nintendo Wii?

Jewell [00:07:35] Yes!

Star [00:07:36] OK, so the Nintendo Wii had like a yoga thing on it.

Jewell [00:07:42] Really?

Star [00:07:44] Yes! And that was actually my first experience with like a quote, "type of yoga class." Honestly, at that time, like, I was going through like a really bad depression. And some days I did not want to get out of bed and my family was like "listen, exercise helps, you know, like you got to release those endorphins. That will help you."  And I was like, meh, I don't want to do anything. So they got me the Wii. [laughing]  I was like, just try out these little things. And I was like, Huh, this is not... Like it had a little board the little white balance board that you stand on that would kind of, you know, show if your body was in the right places and that's honestly where it started. And and then, you know, here we go back to social media and joining Instagram and seeing people doing yoga and was like, oh, I kind of remember doing something like this, but this looks interesting. And that's what kind of prompted me to get into yoga.

Jewell [00:08:44] I love it!

Star [00:08:45] Yeah. So the funniest part about this, all right, I was I was like the Instagram quote, "yogi." Always doing the challenges and, you know, taking cute pictures and I'm not going to lie to you. It wasn't until, like a month before I was like, you know what I'm going to do? Yoga teacher training that I actually took a class.

Jewell [00:09:06] Wow, so from Instagram, you were inspired to take your first yoga class and then do teacher training?

Star [00:09:13] [laughing] No, wait. I knew I was going to teacher training, but like a month before I was like, "I should probably take a class." I took a class and I was like, oh, this is something completely different. Right? Doing the one-off poses is cool. And you're learning.

Jewell [00:09:29] Right!!

Star [00:09:29] But when you're actually putting all of these things together, I was like, oh, this is not what I thought it was, but I was just so excited and I just loved it so much so I just kept, you know, going forward. But listen, man, yoga is, in my mind, yoga is IT!

Jewell [00:09:45] I love it. It has also been life changing for me as well. I'm curious to know, has your personal practice shifted at all now that you also teach yoga?

Star [00:09:57] For sure!

Jewell [00:09:59] How so?

Star [00:10:00] There was a time when I was teaching so much that my personal practice was pretty much nonexistent. And I think that happens to a lot of us. Because, you know, it's not like we get paid so well. So, you know, you might teach five classes a week. You might teach 10, 15, 20 classes. And burnout is a real thing. So I kind of got caught up in that teaching so many classes and then still running the crystal business. But by the time I had free time, I was like, I just want to sleep.

Jewell [00:10:41] Yeah!

Star [00:10:43] But it's better now and I am more conscious to really have my own practice because it's only fair if I'm if I'm out here and I'm teaching something that I love so much, I have to give it back to myself.

Jewell [00:10:58] Yeah. Yeah.

Star [00:11:00] So I'm a lot more mindful to keep up with my own practice and I feel better when I do so now I dedicate a certain day and a certain time like OK, this is going to be just for me. By myself. No cameras rolling or I really like to take other classes. I love taking classes from other teachers.

Jewell [00:11:26] Same! Same! Yes, I had to be really intentional about committing to my own personal practice. There was a point in time where before I taught yoga, I would be doing yoga seven days a week and I loved it! And yeah pouring out into other people, my own personal yoga practice would look more like meditation and writing, which is still valuable practices, but also just from the lupus and arthritic standpoint. I really need to move my body. And so I really appreciate that being in quarantine. I've had the chance to reconnect with some of my teachers across the country that I fell in love with practicing yoga like my teachers from L.A. and Chicago, that they were the ones that inspired me to teach. So to be able to take their classes virtually has been so dope.

Star [00:12:16] Right?!

Jewell [00:12:18] And even with you and I just living in New York and New Jersey, even though it's neighboring states, like it can be a pain for me to drive to New York. And so being able to take your classes virtually has been so dope too.

Star [00:12:28] Right! Listen and girl, I am on your YouTube [Gratitude Griot] doing your classes!

Jewell [00:12:32] Thank you!

Star [00:12:33] I love them! The "I Got 5 on It"?! [5-minute yoga series] I"m like she is so brilliant! I love this girl!

Jewell [00:12:40] Thank you! I appreciate that!

Star [00:12:43] For sure! 

Jewell [00:12:45] Yeah! So we talk and we spreading all this black women love, let's just jump right into it. Talk to me about some women wellness practices that you would recommend. Are there certain rituals or practices that you think everyone with the vulva or uterus should be doing?

Star [00:13:00] The first thing that comes to mind is always yoni steaming.

Jewell [00:13:04] Yes.

Star [00:13:05] And I bring that up because I know that over the last few years I feel like it's become very popular. But I don't know if, you know, with marketing in the way the world is, yoni steaming is actually a very spiritual thing. So it's good physically for what you're doing using the herb to help cleanse the womb and all of that. But there is there's so much more to it. So I think that practices where you really connect with your womb are just something that's really important. So, you know, I'm a big believer of steaming because I've had, you know, issues and things going on in the womb, fibroids, because, you know, black women and fibroids.

Jewell [00:13:53] Same. Same.

Star [00:13:57] I had to look for something natural that would help, and steaming was one of those things. But, you know, while sitting there steaming, you begin to meditate and you begin to focus on your womb and then just learning how powerful the womb is and realizing that, like, listen, we are women and we birth things, right?! Babies, ideas, creation, businesses, we birth love. Like you know, that's all of a part of it. So that's definitely a thing, a ritual that I like to do.

Jewell [00:14:30] I've been wanting to try a yoni steam, which I need to book an appointment with you because I've been living with fibroids for seven years now. And I've definitely I feel like the practices, the yoga, meditation that has helped. I've done a lot in terms of diet, but shifting at a lot of sugar. I don't I still eat a little bit of chicken and fish, but like no red meat, no pork, no dairy. And so I've done a lot to shift my diet and I'm trying to do more holistic practices. I'm not really consistent with my castor oil packs, but I want to be and I know that I've heard yoni steaming has been really helpful for just holistic treatment of the womb space. I definitely want to try that, too.

Star [00:15:11] Yes, the castor oil packs are so good girl. You can just do those like when you're lying down.

Jewell [00:15:16] I know I trying to get better, like lying and reading while I'm doing them so like creating that ritual routine so I can be consistent.

Star [00:15:25] Yes. The castor oil packs are amazing. I would say even womb massages and it's something that you could look up online. There are videos on how to do it if you want to do it yourself. And that actually helps to break them [uterine fibrobroids] down.

Jewell [00:15:41] Yes. I will try that. You what I like to do, sorry not to cut you off, but in the vein of womb massages, like with my Moon Stones, I will lay them over my sacral chakra space and kind of meditate and do like just gentle light touch, but actually do the womb massage work I can add that in too.

Star [00:15:59] Yes!! and perfect you can use the crystals to kind of like help you to apply that pressure. You know? Another thing that I would say is using yoni eggs.

Jewell [00:16:11] Yes!!

Star [00:16:15] [Laughing] Which are, you know, pretty little crystals in the shape of eggs that you insert [into your vagina]. And I feel like keeping that as a practice helps you to kind of just stay connected. Right. Because, again, we're doing so many things and maybe sometimes we kind of forget that we have this powerful thing in your body, you know, besides the physical benefits, just like using the crystal to to bring all that good energy and or maybe using Crystal to get some bad energy out. You know...

Jewell [00:16:48] Yes! I think the yoni eggs that I bought from you, if I remember correctly, I got Onyx ones from you...and so I don't know...

Star [00:16:56] I think it was the Obsidian

Jewell [00:16:58] Was it Obsidian? Yes! They are obsidian. You're correct. I don't necessarily feel an extraction of bad energy. But what I feel is like an overabundance of like sacral, exuberant energy when I have my yoni eggs in. What I'd love is if I'm doing something that I don't really necessarily like. Oh, I don't I know that I have to do this. Like I remember there was a day that I wore them. I didn't want to go into New York City. I had to take the subway and obviously pre-Panini Express. And so I put my yoni eggs in and it was like, you know, New York City, it could be kind of rough sometimes and gruff, but it was like one of the most beautiful. I was just flowing and floating through city.  Everybody smiling and greeting me back like it was just a wonderful exchange of energy. It's these damn is eggs!! [laughing

Jewell [00:17:48] The most sacred energy, just flowing divine feminine, just flowing!

Star [00:17:54] Mmhmm and without you knowing it, you were exuding that. People were like, you're probably walking by people and they're feeling your energy. And they're like yeesssss! [giggling]

Jewell [00:18:03] It was 360 for sure. I love my yoni eggs and I love yoni wand! My rose quartz yoni wand from Sacred Earth Stones. It is magical!

Star [00:18:14] Yea the yoni wands! And let me tell you something I'm going to say and I promise you, I promise you I'm not hating on anyone. Right. But there are sometimes we're like I will meet people and they're like, "you put this inside??"

Jewell [00:18:28] unhuh!

Star [00:18:29] and I'm giving them the side-eye like, come on! I know people who are pulling other things inside that are way bigger than this. You better stop it!

Jewell [00:18:38] Yeah!

Star [00:18:39] But I also think that that's a part of us just not knowing about using other things to connect with ourselves.

Jewell [00:18:46] Yes!

Star [00:18:48] Right? Because, you know, and that's a whole other conversation though, right? So we're just going to stop there. But yoni wands are amazing!   I love a good Rose Quartz yoni wand cause again, like with Rose Quartz, giving all of that loving energy and it being so nourishing, like sometimes you just need a little nourishment. Why not have that while you're enjoying a little pleasure? You know what I'm saying?

Jewell [00:19:12] Yes. Come on, "Oops Oh My, Tweet!" [laughing]

Star [00:19:20] OK, so we're going to say yoni steaming, yoni eggs, yoni wands. There's another thing that I do that I, I actually learned from my teacher when I was, you know, embarking on the womb wellness journey and she was like, you got to look at your vagina like literally like sit down in your bed, open your legs and get a mirror and look at her.

Jewell [00:19:49] Yeah!

Star [00:19:50] So that you can become familiar with her so that you can find the beauty in her so that she can just love it! You know, and build that type of relationship so that you're very mindful of what you do or what you share, you know what I mean. Because now you're really becoming intimate with a part of yourself, a part of yourself that you at points, you know, may share with others.

Jewell [00:20:19] Yeah, that is such a an important practice to do. I remember when. I don't know, maybe I was around the age of nine, 10, 11, it was before I had started my cycle and my mom gave me this book with little white Christian cartoon characters in the book to explain about menstrual cycles and the human body. And she expected me to know all that I needed to know about my vulva and womb space from this cartoon White Christian. It never had a conversation beyond that. And I feel like it has taken me until my late thirties to truly understand about my body and especially that space, like the vulva, the uterus space, like really understanding the mechanics and the magic of that space. What really helped me too to understand more about just the anatomy and the way that that part of my body works has been using menstrual disc and menstrual cups and really have to understand the internal anatomy of, OK, where is my vagina in relation to pubic bone and cervix opening and how do these things need to fit inside of me? And it just really kind of expanded my mind in a whole new way. Like, I just feel like the human bodies are so amazing!

Star [00:21:46] Aren't they?!

Jewell [00:21:48] We literally wake up and go to sleep in these bodies every single day and there's so much that we don't know about them.

Star [00:21:55] It is a wild thing! Even when you see people who, you know, whatever it may be, maybe they're in a car accident and, you know, people thought that they were going to die. And I mean, with the help, sometimes the surgery. But even with that, the way that the body can repair itself, the way cells regenerate, like you really think about that. We're in these mystical little shells that we call bodies.

Jewell [00:22:21] Right!

Star [00:22:21] And it's just amazing!

Jewell [00:22:27] all of the the signals that our brain sends to different parts of our body to trigger the production of hormones or endorphins or whatever it is. And then the way that all of those work in our body between like serotonin and cortisol, and that we also can control all of this with our breathing and our yoga and meditation practices and the food that we eat. It's it's fascinating to me! It's fascinating.

Star [00:22:52] You're not alone in a fascinating to me as well. Like sometimes I'm just like, I am so grateful for this body! Like, grateful that things are working. And even when they're not, there is the ability to fix it. But yes, back to what you were saying. I think that there's not enough that we are taught about our bodies as women and because of that. Sometimes it can create a disconnect, and I think same like you, my mom kind of explained like, OK, this is your period, this is why you get it. And then that was it. And I learned later on in life realizing it was because no one really taught her.

Jewell [00:23:40] Yeah. Right.

Star [00:23:41] So it came to like, okay, me having fibroids and having to learn like, OK, let me see what's going on in here. Like what is this thing in my body. Right? And why is it now turning into these other things called fibroids? But like you said, when you really learn and understand how the womb works or where the vulva is located or the cervix or the cervical lining, you know, all of that stuff it makes a huge difference. And I'm hoping that unfortunately, because it's not something that's normally taught to us, that it is something that women will take the time to research a little bit earlier on, or maybe like people like me and you who can share that type of information with maybe younger women, you know?

Jewell [00:24:28] Yes. Yes. I'm definitely looking forward to hearing this podcast and continuing this conversation. This kind of went somewhere that I wasn't expecting to.

Star [00:24:38] Sorry!!!

Jewell [00:24:38] No! Don't apologize at all! This was fantastic!  I feel like we need to be having these conversations. And it is important to continue them, especially in our community, because they're I mean, we're talking about black women and sexual health, like we're still the number one demographic that is contracting HIV and other STIs. And we are still, when it comes to maternity, death rates and things like that, like we are still over-indexing in that. And that is all that's all related, I think, really knowing our bodies, advocating for our health, advocating for our own wellness, I think that's all combined. So it's a really important conversation that we're having for sure.

Star [00:25:20] No, it is all combined. And like you said, when you know, you advocate for yourself a little better versus being told like, OK, this is what you should do. And us just kind of being like, OK, because we're trusting whatever doctor or practitioner that we're seeing who might not have our best interests at heart. Let's keep it real.

Jewell [00:25:38] Yeah, yeah. I always say we need to be the gurus of our own body and lead from an empowered place, [inaudible] for sure!

Jewell [00:25:48] So there is one last thing that I want to talk to you about, and hopefully, you will share, because I know you don't really share this too often, but it's really been I think... This has been coming up for me in my own life to really be able to stand fully in myself with all parts of me integrated all things that I love. And so I know you don't hear often that you actually have a love and passion for erotica writing.

Star [00:26:14] I do. [laughing]

Jewell [00:26:16] Can you talk about like what really first piqued your interest in that genre?

Star [00:26:21] Absolutely. So again, I'm dating myself, but I know you remember, Zane.

Jewell [00:26:28] Of course!

Star [00:26:31] I remember I was in high school. Maybe I was like a junior or a senior. And, you know, these books came out and I was always in the bookstore. Right. Because I love... I miss bookstores. Right. How many there used to be everywhere. And I would just go to the bookstore and like, kind of like stare at everything and see what was popular. And I remember seeing her books and I was like, this is interesting. And getting the book and reading it and being like, oh my God! [laughing] I would literally like, you know, because I would be on the train or I would be on the bus. Or specifically one time I remember I was in a nail salon and I was getting a pedicure, and I'm reading this. And reading her stuff made me feel a certain way! Maybe a little warm, a little tingly. And I remember putting, like, closing the book, putting it away and looking around like, "does anyone know what I am reading?" [laughing] Like can see it on my face? And and a couple of you know, I read her book for years as they continue to come out. And I, I just loved it because it was something that wasn't being done and especially not something that was being done by a Black Woman. Right.

Jewell [00:27:42] Yes!

Star [00:27:42] So and I've always kind of I always like to write I would do poetry here and there when I was younger. And then I think this is the point where she kind of stopped writing and started publishing other people. And I was like, well, let me try my hand this right? Same thing that happened with the crystals. Let me try my hand at this. And I started writing and I, I just loved it. I loved it. I love something that I love to do is people watch, right? my secret is... Don't judge me yall!

Jewell [00:28:16] No judgment at all!

Star [00:28:18] I would go outside and I would go to a park and I would just sit down and I would watch people and sometimes I would see a couple and I would look at their interactions with each other and I could legitimately create an entire short story about them and their sexual encounter.

Jewell [00:28:37] I love that that is such a fun writing practice to do. When I worked in New York City years ago, I worked super close to Bryant Park so I would spend my lunch breaks in Bryant Park people watching.

Star [00:28:49] It is amazing, though. That in itself is a beautiful thing!

Jewell [00:28:53] And I loved it. And I've well, prior to the panini, I have been super inspired living in Newark, just around the people and the things that you see when you really stop to observe your surroundings. And you may... Not to be eavesdropping or be nosy, but when you hear little tidbits of people's conversations, I always get so curious, like, what is it? What's about their lives? Like what makes them? Like it's... And so I love that you use that little piece of what you see to start writing a story off that dope inspiration!

Star [00:29:30] I think you should try it. It's super fun because now you can take these people anywhere in your own mind.

Jewell [00:29:36] Yes.

Star [00:29:38] And so it was always, you know, most of that. Sometimes friends would tell me stories. You know what I'm saying? And I'm like, I got you, Imma change these names up. Imma change the places up a little bit so nobody will recognize it. But it's something that I love to do. But I like what you said before when you first asked me about it, stepping into yourself fully right. And I came to a place where I was like, well, you know, I do this wellness stuff, I do these crystals, and I teach yoga. And then it's like, oh, but I also write some very, very filthy stuff. Right. And it was kind of like, how do I find that balance? How do I show people all of the parts of myself?

Jewell [00:30:32] Yeah!

Star [00:30:32] Because there were you know, there were times when people would read my stuff, you know, a lot of people would enjoy the people who are comfortable within themselves would be like, this is great. Or it would it could even be from a writing standpoint, like, wow, you're a really good writer, you know? And then there are other people who are like, oh, my God, this is disgusting. Like, I can't believe that you could write things like this. And I'm like, but I am a fully sexual being.

Jewell [00:31:01] Yes! Claim that!

Star [00:31:03] But it did kind of deter me a little bit. And even at this point, like, I've still been writing, but I'm just like, OK, how do I bring this out without feeling judged? Like honestly, for the most part, I really don't care what people think. But I guess because I am sensitive about my writing and because I am so passionate about yoga and teaching it and sharing it, that I guess I wouldn't want one to affect the other.

Jewell [00:31:32] Right!

Star [00:31:33] But I also don't want to feel like I have to separate it.

Jewell [00:31:36] Right!

Star [00:31:38] So that's where I'm at. But I'm going to think of you like this is my whole self and you could take it or leave it like me writing this stuff is not going to change how I teach yoga. It's not going to change how I meditate. It's not going to, you know what I mean. But that's a thing. It's a thing.

Jewell [00:31:57] Then I mean, let's be real. If people weren't fucking, we wouldn't be here. So...

Star [00:32:02] Listen! And people are fucking OK. I don't know if I can say that on a podcast.

Jewell [00:32:07] Yes, you can cuss!!  [laughing]

Star [00:32:08] Listen. Listen. people are out here fucking they are doing all types of all kinds of stuff because different people tell me their stories and I'll be like, really? Like even me, I'll be like, oh, for real? Oh I can write about that! [laughing] So yeah, it's kind of I don't know or maybe it's a thing where we're just not taught to be able to embrace both sides of ourselves and share them like the whole duality thing, you know, or finding balance. Like I think it's it's a hard thing. Sometimes people want to put you in this one box, this one category, and that's not who any of us are. We're not just one thing.

Jewell [00:32:48] Mhmm! We're all multi layered, multi-level human beings. I mean, there is stuff that's always going on behind closed doors in terms of sexually and, you know, as long as it's consensual.

Star [00:33:00] Right, right!

Jewell [00:33:02] It's totally fine. And I don't think... There's nothing healthy about kink-shaming or judging someone for what they like and what they enjoy. And like, truth be told, whether people are talking about it or not, it's happening. There's just something about American society that we like to judge. We like to shame. We like to pretend that what's really happening behind closed doors is not happening. And I don't... I don't think that's healthy. So I feel like the more that we can step into ourselves fully and embrace what we love and what we do, all parts of us, I think let's do that more. Let's shine fully as the human beings, the divine spirits that we are.

Star [00:33:44] You're Right! And like you said, we are sexual beings and that is nothing to be ashamed of. Like I feel like there is a certain power, honestly, when you can step into, you know, or be comfortable with your sexuality and being a person is like, yeah, I mean, I have sex. I do this.

Jewell [00:34:06] Listen and then if you working on your yoni work then the sex is real good!

Star [00:34:11] Right! It's better than you would have... Liked H.E.R. said "better than I imagine!".

Jewell [00:34:17] Unhuh!

Star [00:34:18] It all comes together. It really all comes together. And yeah, I'm going to be like, hey, Jewell, guess what? I finally published that erotica book.

Jewell [00:34:31] Unhuh! Imma read it too! I be watching some kinky porn some time I surprise myself [laughing] like, why are you watching this?

Star [00:34:38] You know what? there's so much stuff out there, right. Like, I feel like, OK, so this is how I feel about food and I'm going to attribute it to sex as well. If you don't try something right, how will you know if you like it or not? It might be the food where you're like, you know, I don't really know. And then you taste and you're like, oh, my God, that is the best food I have ever had. Like, that's actually one of my new favorite. Right?

Jewell [00:35:07] Yes!

Star [00:35:09] Same thing with sex. I mean, like you said, safe and consensual, knowing that it's something you feel comfortable to do. But I mean, I do the same thing. Sometimes I'll be watching some stuff and I'm like, this is kind of weird that I'm watching this. And then it's like but it's actually not weird, we're just taught that it's weird.

Jewell [00:35:26] right! Or it might be something that you've never seen before and was like, oh, I'm intrigued!

Star [00:35:32] Right! Or if I, I never thought about it in that position or I know how whatever it may be, you know, it's it's kind of like, man, listen, we got to live in. Sex is not a bad thing.

Jewell [00:35:47] At all, at all! And just to circle back to the conversation we had earlier. It's like the more you know about your body, the more you can experience pleasure and joy with it. And that is totally natural. Totally healthy. It's totally fine.

Star [00:36:04] Right. Right! Girl!

Jewell [00:36:07] I love it!

Star [00:36:08] We gotta do a  whole other episode on this!

Jewell [00:36:11] We need to! We need to! Right! Imma have you back for part two. But I know we are getting close to the end of our interview and I have this final section. So it is 10 questions that I asked all the Ohmies that come to have a seat at the table with me. They are rapid-fire questions. Don't think about the answers too much.

Star [00:36:30] Oh, my God, I'm nervous! [laughing]

Jewell [00:36:33] Nooo don't be nervous! Cut it out.

Jewell [00:36:34] One word or short phrase answers. OK, don't think about it too much.

Star [00:36:40] All right let me take a deep breath.

Jewell [00:36:42] Take a breath. From the top. Describe to me your personal style in one word.

Star [00:36:54] Sexy, classy.

Jewell [00:36:55] OK! What's one thing you wish you can change about the world?

Star [00:37:00] Hate.

Jewell [00:37:03] What brings you joy?

Star [00:37:06] Yoga.

Jewell [00:37:08] What makes you cry?

Star [00:37:14] When people are hurt.

Jewell [00:37:18] What type of impact do you want to have on this earth?

Star [00:37:23] I want I want to be able to be. Huh. I'm going to get a little emotional, OK? I really just try to live from love like a place of genuine love. And I feel like my purpose is to be able to share that with others, to be an example of it so that others can do the same.

Jewell [00:37:48] Yeah, you are the embodiment of love. You're not trying

Star [00:37:52] Girl, stop it.

Jewell [00:37:55] What do you love about being Black?

Star [00:38:00] What don't I love about being Black?!! I'm still like tearing up here, but why don't I love? Listen, we are an amazing people. We are beautiful. We are smart. We are creative. We are kind. We are overly forgiving [inaudible] with that. But we are we are resilient. We are everything that there is, we are! We are amazing...we are an amazing group of people. And I love us!

Jewell [00:38:33] Same! I love us for real!

Star [00:38:35] Our love is so real!

Jewell [00:38:38] What do you hope for your community?

Star [00:38:44] Unity. More knowledge about health. Bringing better food into the community, open conversations, and access to help for things like mental health.

Jewell [00:39:06] Yes, all of the above. All of the above. What do you love most about yourself?

Star [00:39:18]  I would say my resilience in a way is definitely one of the things and my ability to really, no matter what, I live from love, which has been a practice. But it's something that means so much to me. So I I love that I am able to do that.

Jewell [00:39:42] I love it. Love it, love it what's your favorite book?

Star [00:39:45] African Civilization. Hold on, because I have to give you the.

Jewell [00:39:51] Yes! Give me the official title!

Star [00:39:53] The official title and the author, because this is like my go-to book. Just a quick backdrop while I pull that up. In college, my major was Africana studies and this is actually one of the first books I read. And I was like the way that it opened my eyes because we're not really taught history like that.

Jewell [00:40:15] Right!

Star [00:40:16] We're taught a very basic history. So it is called Introduction to African Civilization. And it is by John G. Jackson with the intro by John Kenrick Clarke.

Jewell [00:40:29] Thank you!

Star [00:40:30] Yes! I read that yall! like for real, read that [laughing]

Jewell [00:40:34] Last question, if you were to put your life to music, who would be five songs, five artists or genre of music that would be on that list?

Star [00:40:44] I am a rea R&B head. Like I, I listen to some other stuff, but ninety-eight percent of what I listen to is R&B.

Jewell [00:40:52] Come on wit it!

Star [00:40:52] So the soundtrack is R&B soundtrack. Right. It might kind of sound like Miguel. He's one of my all-time favorites.

Jewell [00:41:01] OK!

Star [00:41:02] Where he's fun and playful but when he needs to get serious, he's serious. Ooo this is hard! OK R&B, Miguel,

Jewell [00:41:12] Don't think about it too much. Who do you love? Who's in your headphones right now?

Star [00:41:18] Sir.

Jewell [00:41:19] OK!

Star [00:41:20] I think that he is amazing that he's amazing. Side note though, that whole family is amazing. They're all super talented.

Jewell [00:41:26] OK, agreed for sure 100%

Star [00:41:28] Right?! Gosh! OK! Sir, Miguel, Ro James because he's nasty [laughing] And then I'm going to take it all the way back because my soulful side, the person who I could never get tired of her voice is Anita Baker.

Jewell [00:41:46] OOooo come on! Yessss!!

Star [00:41:49] Cause she is just...Whew!  like I will never get tired of listening to her and the things that she says still resonate with me.

Jewell [00:41:56] A lyricist for sure!

Star [00:41:58] Yes! Was that four or five?

Jewell [00:42:02] Let me not disrespect Ms. Anita Baker and try to sing her song. That was 4; give me one more!

Star [00:42:08] OK, one more. I'm going to say...shoot girl, give me two more seconds! I know yall gotta go.

Jewell [00:42:21] Ain't no rush! Ain't no rush!

Star [00:42:22] Look, I be real serious when it comes to music, so I don't want to throw no B.S. out there. OK?!

Jewell [00:42:27] Listen, you know the soundtrack of your life is going to have way more than 5 songs. So [laughing].

Star [00:42:34] No, It definitely would. OK. OK, wait, hold on. I got it right here. So the last song because I'm trying to think of what the name is because I don't want to sing it and sound crazy as hell. All right. You know, that's what I'm going to embarrass myself right now. It's a rap song, and he's like "Black, Black, Black so Black" [laughing].

Jewell [00:42:59] Yessss!!!!

Star [00:43:01] [laughing] All we got is Black wheels, Black something, something, something, something Black, Black, Black, Black" [laughing]

Jewell [00:43:09] Yaassss! I love the Instagram videos that go around with that and the groups of people that be dancing like they be so groovy with it. I don't I do not know the name of the artist nor the song either. But I know exactly what you're talking about.

Star [00:43:21] Let me see. Oh, I got it. The song is called Black featuring ASAP Ferg and the artist is actually Buddy. So shout out to Buddy and ASAP Ferg for that song because we need it. Yeah.

Jewell [00:43:37] Yesss! it's an Anthem for sure.

Star [00:43:39] Yes.

Jewell [00:43:40] Oh thank you love. I appreciate you spending time with me for giving me extra time for sharing all your knowledge, all your love, all your energy. I cannot wait for the people to hear this. You're so dope. 

Star [00:43:54] O girl, you better stop! I appreciate you. When you reached out, I was like, you know what?  I love this girl, like even if this was a conversation that no one was going to hear right, I was just hype, like I adore you. I adore like, I know I always say it, but, like, I adore all that you do. The way that you are genuinely proactive in your community, the way that you are generally proactive about, you know, mental health in the Black Community, like all that stuff you are doing it and it is honorable, it's respectable. And like I love you. Like I love you.

Jewell [00:44:31] Awwww!! I'm not crying! You're crying! [laughing]

Jewell [00:44:36] I love you too, boo! I appreciate you!

Star [00:44:38] I appreciate you so, so much.

Jewell [00:44:41] Let the people know where they can find you on the socials and on Etsy so they can spend their money with Sacred Earth Stones.

Star [00:44:47] yes! Yes, yes yes. It's super simple. It is Sacred Earth Stones on Instagram, Sacred dot Earth dot Stones. My personal insta, which is where you will see all of my yoga stuff, is Secret Writer because even though everything yoga, I still got that writer name in there. So Secret, like it's a secret. Writer, like I'm a writer. [laughing]

Jewell [00:45:09] I love it. Thank you, Star, I so appreciate you.

Star [00:45:13] Awww, thank you so much, Jewell

Star [00:45:14] Alright, I'll talk to you later, lady love. 

Star [00:45:16] All right.

Jewell [00:45:17] Bye.

Star [00:45:18] Bye.