If you've ever felt disconnected from your cultural roots, struggled with linguistic loss, or carried shame around not being "fluent enough" in your mother tongue — this Soul Session is a love letter to your becoming. Today, we sit down with the extraordinary poet Siphokazi Jonas — South African poet, playwright, producer, and author. author of the stunning book Weeping Becomes a River, for a profound exploration of storytelling, cultural reclamation, and the sacred art of invention. Siphokazi is a creator, a storyteller, an inventor who brings worlds into being through the fusion of poetry and Intsomi (traditional Xhosa storytelling).

We dive deep into Siphokazi’s journey of writing a book that leaps off the page and leaves the reader forever changed. Siphokazi shares her personal journey from childhood dreams of publishing, to facing criticism — and finally to the moment she fulfilled her long-held dream of being a published author. We discuss the trauma of apartheid and colonialism, the loss of culture and language, and the beautiful, brave, messy work of weaving together a new identity from the threads of what you have been given (and what has been lost). This Soul Session is especially tender for anyone who has experienced cultural rupture, who has been taught to shrink or apologize for their existence, or who is in the process of reclaiming what was stolen.

Siphokazi also takes us behind the scenes of her creative process, the importance of community support, and the liberation that comes from releasing perfectionism. This conversation is an invitation to honor your multiple identities, create with what you have, and trust that your voice — exactly as it is — is medicine the world is seeking.

🎨 Join SoulCraft, the creative community where dreamers become doers [7 Day Free Trial]: https://www.skool.com/soulcraft

Chapters:

Chapters

• 00:00:00 Welcome: The Soul of a Storyteller
• 00:05:06 Invention, Blackness, and Creativity
• 00:08:15 The Maternal Lineage of Intsomi Storytelling
• 00:19:01 What Does the Soul Mean to You?
• 00:30:17 Compensation Patterns: A Poem
• 00:26:06 The Act of Listening as Soul Connection
• 01:08:07 Melting Point: A Poem
• 00:52:44 Plucked Tongues and Colonial Violence
• 00:54:03 Straining Cloth: The Cost of Model C Schools
• 01:19:28 The Journey to Publishing: Overcoming Perfectionism
• 01:00:33 Weeping Becomes a River: The Title's Meaning
• 00:44:17 The Innovative Structure: Poetry Meets Intsomi
• 01:04:52 Reclaiming Language Without Perfection
• 01:40:00 The Future: Children's Books and Animation
• 01:55:24 Soul Recognition and Closing Ritual

Key Topics Explored:

✨ The sacred art of creative invention and bringing worlds into being

✨ The traditional oral storytelling tradition of Intsomi (South African, Xhosa)

✨ Cultural rupture, colonial education, and the loss of mother tongue

✨ How poetry becomes a portal to the soul

✨ Black women as keepers of wisdom and storytellers

Connect with Siphokazi Jonas:

📖 Read Weeping Becomes a River (book & audiobook): https://siphokazijonas.com/weeping-becomes-a-river-shop/ 

📸 Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/siphokazi_j/ 

📝 Website: https://siphokazijonas.com/ 

Next Steps:

💖 Get the FREE Soulful Visibility Guide to help you overcome the fear of being SEEN: https://ayandastood.com/

🎨 Join SoulCraft, the Creative Community, where heart-led visionaries turn creative visions into embodied realities: https://www.skool.com/soulcraft

🫂 Join the FREE Soul Salon Collective and meet fellow soul siblings from all over the world 🌍: https://www.skool.com/soul-salon-collective-7003

#storytelling #spiritualawakening #creativehealing #perfectionism #africanstorytelling #ayandastood #siphokazijonas #soulsalon #poetry #collectivehealing

Follow me on socials:

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✨ Website: https://ayandastood.com/

Soul Session No. 99