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Meet Our Presenters
The inaugural Conclave of the Mystics brings together an extraordinary group of BIPOC practitioners, scholars, magicians, mystics, healers, and community leaders whose work reflects the richness and diversity of contemporary spiritual traditions.
Each presenter offers a unique perspective shaped by personal practice, lived experience, research, teaching, and community engagement. Together, their presentations explore this year's guiding question:
What do BIPOC spiritual traditions, practices, and wisdom look like in the 21st century?
Throughout the day, you'll encounter a wide range of voices, traditions, and approaches, each contributing to a larger conversation about how ancestral knowledge continues to evolve, inspire, and serve our communities today.
We invite you to learn more about our presenters below and discover the unique experiences and insights they will share during the inaugural Conclave of the Mystics.
Every tradition begins with a first gathering.
We hope you'll join the gathering.
Eva Yaa Asantewaa
Eva Yaa Asantewaa (she/her) was born in New York City of Barbadian immigrant heritage.
First published in 1976, she spent decades as a noted arts journalist, critic, blogger, podcaster, editor, curator, and educator who won the 2017 New York Dance and Performance (“Bessie”) Award for Outstanding Service to the Field of Dance. Her parallel work explores the personal and communal power of creativity, clair-sensitivities, Tarot imagery, and body-mind-spirit practices from an animist, Spirit-informed perspective. She guides a monthly Zoom Séance community gathering and is currently working on a Black queer contemporary fantasy novel.
In 2016, for Danspace Project’s innovative Lost and Found platform, Ms. Yaa Asantewaa conceived and curated the skeleton architecture, or the future of our worlds, an evening of group dance improvisation featuring 21 Black women and gender-nonconforming performers. Her cast won a 2017 “Bessie” for Outstanding Performer. Learn more about Eva and her work on her Substack page. Visit Eva at https://evayaaasantewaa.substack.com/.
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Your Spirit Self. A Journey of Commitment, Exploration, Growth, and Wonder
Drawing from a year-long exploration of Spirit Self practices and monthly work with a Zoom séance community, this presentation introduces practical approaches to safe, light trance and the transformative practice of channeled writing. Participants will discover how these techniques can foster meaningful connection with the Spirit Self, spirit guides, ancestors, dream figures, and other sources of insight, while enriching personal reflection, spiritual practice, and Tarot study.
Mawiyah Kai EL-Jamah Bomani
Mawiyah Kai EL-Jamah Bomani is an award-winning writer, educator, and spirit woman. Mawiyah is an eighth-generation Witch, Egun Medium, and Priestess of OYA in the Yoruba system of spirituality. She is also editor in chief of the culture and Afrikan Traditional Spirituality e-zine, Oya N'Soro. Mawiyah is the host of FishHeadsinRedGravy, a podcast dedicated to celebrating marginalized people of the esoteric/occult world. Her writings have appeared in numerous magazines, including The Crab Orchard Review, Dark Eros, and Catch the Fire. She has written several plays, including Spring Chickens, which won her the Southern Black Theatre Festival's 2012-2013 Playwright of the Year Award. She is also the Critical Mass 8 Literary Award winner and a KAT Artist Residency recipient. Mawiyah currently lives, writes, and conducts Orisa rituals, spiritual consultations, workshops, house cleansings, and divinations in both northern and southern Louisiana. Visit Mawiyah at www.MawiyahKaiELJamahBomani.com.
Healing Altars: Creating Revolutionary Spaces for Social and Emotional Change
In this workshop, we will discuss the following: The Tonglen process for grounding before creating Hoodoo altar spaces. We will examine my story- growing up with Saints. Briefly, we will make mention of the indigenous connection of the Congo Cosmogram as a Centerpiece to African-centered Hoodoo canonization. I will invite participants into the City of BIPOC Women and our ongoing discussion centered around spiritual dysmorphia tied to the legacies of Tamla, Rachel, and Cait = remnants of white supremacy, white privilege, misogynoir, and microaggression. We will delve into the holdovers of mental enslavement through Colorism = Internalized Racist Oppression. Finally, we will examine a few Hoodoo Altar setups that have aided myself and my community of clients = The Why of Hoodoo Altars.
Phoenix Coffin - Williams, LMHC
Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor
Rev. Phoenix is a Black, Queer, Wiccan High Priest. He holds a master's degree in clinical mental health counseling and frequently teaches on ways to apply spiritual concepts to issues related to mental health. He is the CEO of WitchSchool, an online seminary dedicated to metaphysical studies and perspectives. Phoenix also enjoys teaching life-coaches and other wellness professionals the secrets of the therapy world as a way of making wellness more accessible. Phoenix is based out of Buffalo New York; however he does work with a global population of people seeking to deepen their connection to the divine and experience relief from the stressors imposed by our current conditions. Visit Phoenix at www.correllian.com.
Managing Generational Curses and Ancestral Karma
In this Session Phoenix explains the difference between a generational curse and Karmic Bonds that are passed on from our ancestors. Popular media references will be utilized to help conceptualize the difference. Participants will leave the session knowing how to differentiate between the two conditions and an altar work technique to assist in mitigating associated struggles.
Erika Robinson
Author/Content Creator
Erika Robinson is a world-recognized authority on the Lenormand Oracle, a European thirty-six card divination system. The author of the bestselling book THE LANGUAGE of LENORMAND, Erika is also the creator of the deck ERIKA’S LENORMAND of HOPE. Erika hosts the popular YouTube channel IN the COMPANY of CARDS, where she uses Lenormand to comment and make predictions on political and social issues of the day. Additionally, Erika is recognized as a Substack Bestselling Author for her weekly articles that use Tarot, Adinkra, and Lenormand to inspire, support, and encourage. Visit Erika at: https://lenormandwitherika.com/
Lenormand Redefined as an Instrument for the Modern Griot
For centuries, griots have preserved the stories, wisdom, and living memory of their people. In this presentation, we will reimagine the Lenormand, a heretofore relatively static thirty-six card European system of divination, as a contemporary instrument for that same sacred role. There will be an overview of the system, examples of the thirty-six cards as archetypes, and a demonstration of how card combinations can be used in storytelling for someone in spirit as easily as for someone sitting at our table.
Kenya T. Coviak
Folkoric Herbalist
Kenya T. Coviak is a Detroit-based African American folk magician, author, and dynamic presenter who expertly weaves historical traditions with modern magical practices. Her foundational rootwork is deeply informed by family practices from Arkansas and Mississippi, anchoring her craft in Detroit Great Migration based Southern Hoodoo and oral teachings. Equally trained in modern Western magical practices and well-versed in neo-pagan witchcraft, Kenya uniquely bridges traditional regional folk magic with contemporary esoteric paths. She is the founder of the Detroit Conjure and Folk Magic Festival and a sought-after contributing writer featured in several books, including Llewellyn's Complete Book of North American Folk Magic. Through her engaging presentations, workshops, and written work, Kenya shares her deep expertise while adapting these powerful arts for the modern seeker. Contact Kenya at Detroitconjure@gmail.com.
Roots, Herbs, and Ghetto Tech: Detroit Conjure for the People
Detroit has is own magical tapestries. You can find magic in the clubhouse and the church house. Being a practitioner here can open up so many doors to various cultural practices.
Also, fictive kinship and the Great Migration heavily influence the regional differences of practice here. So what you think you know about the Conjure here may not be quite accurate. We'll get into that as well.
Not to be lost, also, is the musical component of our communities. There are literally discographies in people's homes that buttress their supernatural tool kits. That music is from here. That magic is from here.
Starr RavenHawk
Starr is a Trini-Canadian transplant, who fell in love with the magickal arts at a young age. Began practicing as a High Magician since the late seventies then as a practicing Witch in many forms and traditions of WitchCraft, many forms of Folk Magicks, Obeah and much, much more.
She is a Reverend, High Priestess, Certified Adult & Youth Mental Health Counselor, Theology and much more, with over 45 years of experience. She has lectured at Universities and Colleges in New York & New Jersey on WitchCraft and many Festivals across the US and Europe.
Founder and Creatress of the degreed Witchcraft program at WFT Academy Of Pagan Studies in 2005 the First Witch School in New York City.
Founder / Elder of NYC Wiccan Family Temple, the first Witch Temple ordaining its Priest/Priestesses to be licensed Ordained Reverends. She has been organizing and serving the New York City Pagan Community since the 1990’s, sharing with others her many passions of the Craft providing lectures, workshops, rituals, celebrations and festivals… She has now formed and runs the Annual WitchsFest USA – A Pagan St. Faire in New York City since 2012.
She currently resides in New York City and travels Nationally and Internationally giving lectures pertaining to WitchCraft, and its many practices. Creatress of the Journey To the Realm of the Underworld Mysteries designed to be a therapeutically magickal regressive journey for each person. And the CEO of CharmedByStarr.Store - an online store specializing in handcrafted, hand designed items for individuals with decerning taste Visit Starr at https://www.charmedbystarr.store/.
A Plethora of Candle Sorcery & Magick Spells
Whatever type of magick you practice, there are systems in place to address every situation that is faced. Conflict is unavoidable and at some point, we will all find ourselves facing adversities.
Whatever you are subjected to must be faced and handled in a manner befitting each event. Effectively handling each difficult situations, is an extremely important part of the many magickal skills you must attain. In this course you will learn the following:
• Figural candles
• Loading Inscribing and Petitioning candles of all types
• Reasoning through your Spells with candles
• Some spells to work with
• Reversing Spells and tricks
• Cut and Clear Spells
• Double action candles
• Birthing, Putting to Sleep and Killing your Spell
• Block Buster
• Candle spells
✨ New presenter spotlights are being added regularly. Check back often or follow us on social media to meet the newest voices joining the Conclave.
your host
Rhonda Alin
Rhonda Alin is the founder of Conclave of the Mystics, a BIPOC Conference of Magicians as well as a professional tarot reader and online instructor at The Magickal Path School. She is also the founder of Northern New Jersey Tarot, a study group for tarot readers of all experience levels, including professionals. Rhonda is both a magickal practitioner and a lifelong student of global esoteric traditions, the mother of twins—a son and a daughter—and currently lives in New Jersey with her plants, her partner, Saru, and all of his guitars.