In her debut book, The Five Blessings of Ifá: Reclaiming Black Futures Through Afro-Indigenous Spirituality, writer, researcher, and aborisa Gabrielle Felder explores African spiritual traditions, particularly Ifá, as a framework for reimagining community, identity, and liberation. Gabrielle explores the five blessings of Ifá—Àikú (longevity), Àjé (wealth and prosperity), Oko/Aya (partnership), Ọmọ (children), and Iségun (victory over negative forces)—to reveal how Black communities have cultivated resilience through ancestral knowledge, kinship, mutual aid, and collective care, offering a vision of abundance that extends beyond Western measures of success.

In this episode, Elodie sits down with Gabrielle to discuss her path to Ifá, the influence of ancestry and family on her spiritual practice, her work as a doula, and more.

A conversation on ancestral wisdom, Black spirituality, and expanding what it means to be human.

03:20 — Gabby’s path to Ifá

10:34 — On reclaiming Black spiritual traditions

13:34 — The five blessings

21:13 — On family, ancestors & inheritance

26:57 — The process of writing the book

33:20 — On reimagining the future

Gabrielle Felder is a writer, data analyst, and aborisa born and raised in Orange County, California and is currently based in Los Angeles. She explores the history of the African diaspora, drawing from her interdisciplinary background in ecology, anthropology, and data analytics. Passionate about community work, she has trained as a postpartum doula, worked in community gardens, and led Afro-Indigenous ceremonies. She’s shared her work through speaking engagements with UC Davis Women’s Resources and Research Center and the Feminist Center for Creative Work.

For more, follow the show on Instagram @permanentdaydream.