Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Nauddy Meriweather . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Nauddy, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?

When I first Fell in love with My Higher Self Was the moment every powerful woman that is a ancestor said Go. Stand Tall. Stand Proud.
Adjust your crown queen. We got you.
When I realized the dreams were not just dreams. That that woman’s intuition wasn’t just a gut feeling. That the thoughts, the feelings, the references, the whispers of the old folks, that the memories, the words I had no language for were apart of my gifts. Gifts passed down from my Ancestors

So I dug deep, real deep. I began to heal myself for myself.
I started to align myself, aligning within my chakras.
Chile aligning Sooo deeply, I connected my Third Eye chakra And my Sacral Chakra to the point that the Magick flowed through my womb. Literally to the point of changing within my physical body.
I now had to have a emergency hysterectomy, and heal my physical self, my ideas of womanhood.
I had to come to terms That being a wombman didn’t stop when they took those parts.
I now was forced to be still and listen to her. And if you know me that was the hard part.

I studied and I sat at the feet of elders to listen and learn. I sat silent within myself and just listened to my discernment with intention.

When I really first fell in love with my higher self is when I came to love all of me. My eye disease that forced a new way of life, that seemed to enhance all my other senses like Daredevil, that for 6 of the last 10 years I struggled with keeping a brave face to the public. I even made a joke out it daily to survive it.
My mom body with all it’s dips its curves and rolls (insert laugh) and learning to love her.

When I moved beyond careers and businesses that no longer served my highest good. When I loved me so deep I learned to say no, I don’t want to, I can’t , I am not ok. (Insert pause)
I fell in love with me.

I fell in love with my discernment, my spiritual self and connection to the ancestors whose shoulders I stand on. Understanding that where I come from is deeper than what society has to say.
understanding the sacrifices that were made for me to be me were paid a million times over. .
That some folk do not get to shame me about Jesus and all the peoples. That what God Jesus and them look like to me isn’t their choice. It’s mine, it’s my beliefs, it’s my faith, it’s my life.

I love that I am free to be me, to be a better wife, mother, daughter, cousin, friend, associate, business owner by just loving my higher self.

I am healing my self, my lineage , breaking the generational curses from seven lines back, and setting the stage and tone for Seven generations to come. My roots run deep.
My higher self has guided me thru the years to be positioned to be one of the first Black Female Owners of a Radio Station in Kentucky, to experiencing and learning some big lessons I couldn’t see or learn before, to being one of the first full service, Black Forward Focused Spiritual Metaphysical Brick and Mortar stores in Kentucky. To understanding the importance, the sacrifice, the ups the downs, the loneliness, and the joy it brings.
to having a heart to help build, to help heal and to educate those who seek it. to being able to open doors daily to help a community I adopted 18 years ago, to have the heart to hold a safe space.
In the 4-5 years time this lil school and store I started quietly, cause you know as the old folks would say some stuff you just don’t talk about, into a storefront in plain sight, a healing and education center in the middle of Old Louisville.

Chile Would they come with the torches was the biggest question I had? Cause I mean we are in Kentucky.. would people support this? I see the need.

To my surprise we were welcomed with open arms.

To surviving thru a pandemic and learning to trust God and my spirit team even more, to feeling even more deeply, to loving more and trying to help heal our world but still holding space for me. To still pour into me. To giving myself more grace and mercy. Cause I am still human right? To know that for every test there is a testimony.

I had to learn in the last two years it’s ok just to be me. Everyone can’t go with you. Everybody don’t want to be at your table . Everyone shouldn’t be at your table. You can’t help everybody. You can only do what you can. If you can help just one, isn’t it worth it?
To realizing You got this. What is for you is for you and only you…
With prayers, a clear Ori and cool water, I manifest and set intentions
Ase Ase Ase so mote it be, it is so, it is done.

So when I first fell in love with my higher self I loved me so fiercely that I couldn’t go back to not being free to be all of me.

Thank you.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

4 years ago The Bruja Collective LLC 1st actually birthed The Bruja Collective University as a way for women from all over to collectively learn and support each other on their individual spiritual journeys. It then developed to a full fledge school and store named Soul UnalomeCollective.

I have been aware of my spiritual gifts since I was young. I just didn’t have anyone to help nuture it or explain it to me. I lacked the language but understood instinctively that it was ok, I was safe.
There where things I grew up seeing or learning that where norms or passed down that actually where very magical to my culture and community, we just didn’t call it that.
I identify as a Rootworker and Hoodoo Womban, a initiate of Ifa so I quietly practiced and built a modest clientle and student base.

I had a small office location but then after a few years I realized that there was a disconnect and void in the community I live in for people of African descent. That the Spiritual or Magic Community in Kentucky did not have places that offered services, products, even education for African Traditional Religions (ATRs) or African American Spiritual Practices like Rootwork, Hoodoo, Conjure, IFa, Santeria, Lucumi, Voodoo, etc.
With the encouragement of my family, students, tribe, Spiritual Godmother and others in the community I decide to go full time offering these things. I moved into our current much larger store front location in Nov 2021 with the goal of also opening a Healing and Education Center which I accomplished in May 2022 by opening a second suite behind the retail store.

I love that we can open our doors 6 days a week and provide a Safe space that is educational, that we can try to help people daily. That a underserved community now has a place to come shop, learn, gather and make new connections. Ww provide a unique perspective and have a space that represents so many.

We hope to continue to grow, to be able to provide jobs, spiritual training, more education, help others start their own businesses and to be able to fund scholarships and give back to the community.

We love hosting our Vendors and Farmer’s Market every Spring thru Fall season to help utilize our space to give other small businesses opportunities to network, build customer bases and exposure Our Monthly potluck dinners allows strangers to come together and break bread, talk and learn from each while pouring into each other.

Our Divine Soul Healing and Education Center allows us to hold space daily, weekly and monthly for Sound Baths sessions, yoga classes, workshops, to bring in Elders to teach but also allows other practitioners to hold space for the craft and businesses.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Recently we had a young lady come running intonthe store right before time for our Sound Bath Healing sessions we host every Saturday. Had about 6 people in the store and center at the time and she started she and her 3 children had been being held hostage for 4 days by their father.

I immediately called the police and got everyone to the back safely and proceed to guard the front whilst acting “normal” to wait for the police. I was ready to protect each and every person there with no qualms about the after thought or possible harm to me and by any means necessary.

I later reflected and realized that as business owners we are too hard on ourselves and we allow stereotypes, stigmas and others to dictate our who, what, how, where and why. If I had to do everything in power to protect each soul in that building I was prepared despite repercussions, any negativity flashback or anything any one could say or do. In that moment it was my job to stop any harm coming thru that door way.
But I also had to give myself grace and mercy to realize yes if things had wrnt bad it could have had a negative impact 💯 but I as mother and woman stood ten toes down on what I stood for.
And that is ok.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Being me, being raw, being honest and just having the drive to help heal and grow our collective communities. I am who I say and I walk my talk no matter who may not like or appove. I encourage people to live their truths and to give themselves grace and mercy every day BUT STILL DO THE WORK AND KEEP MOVING FORWARD!

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.soulunalomecollective.com
• Instagram: Www.instagram.com/soulunalomecollective
• Facebook: Www.facebook.com/soulunalomecollective
• Twitter: Www.twitter.com/soulunalomec
• Yelp: Soul Unalome Collective
• Other: Www.tiktok.com/@soulunalomecollective

Image Credits
Group Photo by Tiara Mills Moonbows and Fireflies Retreat