In this episode, NEIGHBORHOOD HEALER, we explore cosmic aligned herbalism. We’re diving deeply into the ways that cosmic patterns inform our relationship to medicine making, bridging heaven and earth -- as well as the ways that our medicine making practices can be rooted in liberation for our communities and sustainability for the land. 

Trained in Eastern and Western Herbal Medicine, Master Herbalist, Karen M. Rose created an outlet for her teachings and healing modalities with the opening of Brooklyn-based Sacred Vibes Healing and Sacred Vibes Apothecary in 2002.  Her inspiration for this work began as a child in her native home of Guyana, where she was exposed to how African, Caribbean and Latin American traditions profoundly influenced plant medicine and community healing. The legacy of these lands is the foundation of Karen’s spiritual and healing practice.

Yura Sapi is a visionary land steward, artist, and advocate for food sovereignty, blending Afro-Indigenous wisdom with sustainable solutions. As co-founder of Protectores de la Tierra, Yura uplifts Black and Indigenous agricultural traditions in Nuquí, Colombia. A Braiding Seeds Fellow and Echoing Green Fellow, Yura is committed to promoting ancestral knowledge, fostering cycles of harmony, and strengthening intergenerational connections to the land. Their leadership spans cultural resilience, agroecology, and regenerative economies, ensuring that future generations inherit thriving, self-sustaining communities. Yura’s work at Protectores de la Tierra honors the deep relationships between the land, spirit, and collective liberation. With a focus on revitalizing ancestral farming traditions, ensuring food sovereignty through agroecology, lunar-aligned farming, and communal stewardship. They also promote viche production (an ancestral drink, native to the Colombian Pacific, that is made from the juice of sugarcane stalks).

Sovereign: Reclaiming Black Land is a series, rich in storytelling, history, and ritual, in which we explore what it means to be sovereign. With Black land at the center, this podcast brings together prominent activists, artists, and weavers with the rising generation of Black land stewards for inspiring conversations that honor the past and create blueprints for the future.

This podcast is hosted by Crysta Bloom and Clara AgborTabi, and co-produced by Crysta Bloom and Zera Bloom. Our theme music is created by Naima Penniman and Zera Bloom. Our artwork and graphics is created by Crysta Bloom. Sovereign: Reclaiming Black Land is presented by Soul Fire Farm.

Find out more about Karen's work at https://www.sacredvibeshealing.com/ and on social media @sacredvibesapothecary

Learn more about Yura's work at https://yurasapi.wordpress.com/ on social media at @yurasapi

Find Soul Fire Farm at https://www.soulfirefarm.org/ and on social media @soulfirefarm

Follow Crysta Bloom's work at https://www.embodiedbloom.com/ and on social media @crystaembodiedbloom

Follow zera bloom on social media at @zera.bloom

Learn more about Naima Penniman's work at https://www.naimainfinity.com and on social media at @naimainfinity