Antonia -

This year has been a year of putting into action years of dreaming up how I can impact the world in a way that embodied my dreams for a thriving society. My vision of Herban Cura came into fruition, while it is just a baby it has been born and is slowly being molded and evolving through the collective intention.

I am currently learning to slow down, this year has been non stop, but as I reflect back on my life since high school it has always been that way. My ambition and my inspiration to make the world a better place makes it so that I rarely stop. It has become a common routine to have at least three workshops in one weekend after working a week of full time work.

This year I have organized and lead a total of 40 workshops. I have taught workshops at Miami Art Basal, Kiskeya Libre in DR, The New Museum, Bard College, Mayday space, Global Kids, NYC community gardens, galleries like Picture Room, Situations, and Changes and many workshops from my collective home. I have also organizing the Brujas Halloween Party and Winter Informal as well as brought to life the MAGIC MARKETS with Earth Arts Initiative.

I have been grounding more deeply in my role as a mentor to my young people as I create and teach environmental justice curriculum. I caretake a community garden and teach POC youth about urban gardening, herbal medicine and environmental justice. I share with them what I know about plant medicine, while also meeting them where they are at.  Being a mentor is one of the most difficult roles to grow into.

Now that it is springtime, I am putting into motion the garden with them, by putting in medicinal plants and annual vegetables.

I can feel that this garden is healing, when I arrived to this garden the soil was full of glass and plastic, but now after a year of sifting the soil, putting down mulch and ground covers there are worms in all parts of the garden. This land is now breathing, I feel it. I can see where soil still needs to be grown, but as I put these perennial medicinal and biodynamic accumulators into the ground, I can see how this soil will be at the end of the summer. The garden as well as my body and all relations are constantly teaching me to observe and accept feedback.

It feels so exciting to know that this NYC lung now has a medicinal garden to be a harvesting and learning space for young people as well as community members. Some of the many plants we currently have are Black Cohosh, Valerian, Marshmallow, Comfrey, echinacea, strawberries, asparagus, raspberries, rosa rugosa, grapes, hops, solomon's seal, lovage, bee balm, juneberry, peach, pear, lady's mantle, tarragon, lavender and many more.

Many seeds and plants have been planted this year, in the community garden, as well as the Herban Cura garden and my parents garden. Knowing that three territories are now home to medicinal and soil regenerating plants feels so inspiring.  

As I move into this new solar cycle of this project and my life I am keeping the words discernment and discipline close to my heart. I am continuing to set the highest intention for my well being. I understand now that it is only through me being healthy and balanced that I can show up more fully for my community.

I need to heal. That is what my body, mind and spirit are asking for.  Some of my imbalances were recently brought to light; hashimotos, hypothyroid, lyme, bartonella and a TBD infection. The past few months have been the hardest since my heart was last broken, but as I move through it all,  the fears, pain, projections, I feel it as the deepest blessings. The blessings to learn myself more deeply so that I can let go of what no longer serves me and move into closer alignment with my path as a healer

Healing is certainly not easy and emotionally, physically does not feel good. I am learning to listen to the language my body and spirit uses to communicate, to listen to my dreams that are very prophetic. To allow myself to cry and scream and to take my time. We are our greatest healers, and we need to make the choice to care of ourselves, people that are around us can support us, but no one can make the decisions for us.

I feel grateful to be supported as I move through these challenges. I feel proud of myself for each pattern that I recognize and each change that I make, for going to sleep early and cooking all of my own meals, for taking risks and speaking my truth.

As I work on my foundation, I am continuing to work on the Herban Cura Foundations. This summer I will be trusting my intuition of where I need to be, spending time in the Herban Cura garden, caretaking the plants, making plant medicine and being in spaces where I can rest.