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From her new home on the Caribbean island of Jamaica, Omolewa works with mothers to bring new humans into the world while also helping adults birth more conscious versions of themselves through the use the entheogens like psilocybin. In this interview, Omolewa shares how her journey as a healer led her to discover and then work with psilocybin mushrooms while living in Detroit, Michigan. We discuss how she had to overcome the stigma associated with psychedelics as someone who grew up in a community that was deeply affected by the war on drugs. We kick off the conversation by talking about how she earned her name, "The Entheogenic Midwife" and her relationship with one of the leading advocates for psilocybin mushrooms in the black community, the late Kilindi Iyi. LINKS Blackspore https://www.blackspore.com/ https://www.instagram.com/blckspore/ Omolewa https://www.instagram.com/sweetserenity_co/  

This week I'm in conversation with Omar Thomas, founder of Diaspora Psychedelic Society (DPS) based in Jamaica. We discuss the importance of psychedelic integration - the process of integrating a psychedelic experience into your life - and what this looks like in practice in his day-to-day life. Omar shares why leaving the US was a key part of his journey towards liberation as, in his words, the medicine use only gets you so far if you are still planted on a plantation. His journey first took him to Mexico where lived for a number of years while working with plant medicine and has recently returned to Jamaica to promote responsible sacred medicine use and equitable access to nature-based therapies.  With the launch of the Diaspora Psychedelic Medicine Centre in Jamaica, Omar is looking to dismantle the traditional retreat structure which is often inaccessible to those who need it the most. We also discuss why he feels it's necessary for Jamaicans to have more ownership of the country's burgeoning psychedelic field, beyond peripheral, menial roles as well as how entheogens have shaped his parenting.   LINKS: Blackspore www.blackspore.com https://www.instagram.com/blckspore/    Diaspora Psychedelic Society: https://www.diasporapsychedelicsociety.org/ https://www.facebook.com/DiasporaPsychedelicSociety/ https://www.instagram.com/diasporapsychedelicsociety/    

Welcome to Blackspore! In this debut episode we're exploring what it means to live from a place where you’re done asking permission. Can you choose to shift your focus from struggle and oppression and rather simply choose to be free? Some of you may be wondering If I’ve lost my damn mind but hear me out. For us as people of African origin, as well as our undeniable history of pain and trauma, there is also a depth of brilliance, resilience, and artistry of life that is our birthright but is all too often ignored. In this introductory episode host, Zoe Leigh Smith shares the inspirations that led to the genesis of Blackspore and, in closing, why entheogens are an unparalleled tool for lifting the veil and pushing folks in the black community towards stepping into our true essence of being and power. Sign up for weekly updates, events, and more at www.blackspore.com or follow us on https://www.instagram.com/blckspore/.   LINKS Darren Le Baron website: https://www.darrenlebaron.com/ Darren's Beyond Psychedelics presentation - https://slideslive.com/38908573/entheogenic-africa-exploring-the-realms-of-the-ancestors Bayo Akomolafe website: https://bayoakomolafe.net/ Bayo's interview with For The Wild - https://forthewild.world/listen/bayo-akomolafe-on-slowing-down-in-urgent-times-155