Guess Who's Back?!
That pause was much needed and well deserved!
It is I, Chelsea VonChaz.
For your reading discretion: vulnerable words of expression in the form of content will be all up and through out this issue. Menärchē will return to its usual format and style next issue.
I truly did not think that I would take this long of a pause. Away from my Substack community. But, baaaaybeeee time was flying and life was showing up! Weeks turned into months of releasing episodes of my podcasts, but no newsletter drops. I know, I know. But, I have been writing though. Maybe not in the way I usually present, which may come as a surprise for some. So this is my vulnerable issue, then the newsletter will get back to regular business hours. You know I have to live life and move organically. There was an unfortunate and tragic death in my family, which caused me to retreat and support some loved ones in need. I had to grieve too. I’m still grieving, and I believe I will grieve until my own last breath. To honor them, and to soothe my grief, I’m dedicating this newsletter issue to them.
Light, peace, and progress to the spirit of Vickie Yvette Presley Ibae.
She was a mother figure and friend to me. I miss her and grieve with my best friend, who gained an angel through her Mother’s passing. Grief is a homegirl at this point. Seriously, I put my guard down and made friends with that natural process of life. Wasn’t shit I could do about it showing up in my life. I’ve been practicing submission lowkey. Well, more so surrendering. Whether it’s to a lesson, loss, or love. Then came my career changes. I submitted to a pivot and dived into a hobby or two.
While most know my work as a charity executive and a doula, I have other endeavors that bring me joy. Oh, yes! I dedicated some precious time to pour into my friend’s career and it paid off in full, not in money but in happiness! For anyone that may be creating and/or building with friends, and centering platonic relationships, let me speak to you real quick. If you believe in someone, tell them that you believe in them. They need to hear it if you haven’t told them that before. Especially if you are friends. Support your friends. I know sometimes social media tricks us into supporting folks we don’t know. So if you feel moved and have the capacity, consider the friend(s) that you believe in. Support their business, their music, or whatever their dream is. If that’s means providing a couch to crash on, becoming roomies, buying them a new mic, giving them gas money so they can drive uber, or pretending to be their publicist. Just show them you believe in them. They could become a Grammy winner.
I took some time to play. For the longest time I’ve been holding space to heal, to work, to hustle, and even to love. I needed to make more time to play. And by play I mean traveling and dabbling in whatever I feel like doing. While I mask as a wild introvert sometimes, I use spontaneity to heal my inner child that felt that she had to maintain a level of decorum for others. So I am that friend that will randomly say “let’s get on a plane and go to Mexico City” or “How many exhibits can we check out today?” After I returned to LA from my travels (including 4 cities in less than two weeks), I launched season 2 of my podcast! Whew, y’all got 25 episodes out of me last year! I was having fun, clearly! Feel free to dive into any episodes you may have missed. I’m so grateful for every single guest. And I ain’t done yet.
Also, the podcast gave me space to write and tap in as a spoken word artist. In between my guest episodes, my solo episodes are filled with poetry. I get a chance to play in words. Now I’m embracing myself as an artist, in a way that I haven’t done so since I was a kid. So you’ll see more poetry and hear my voice more often. I’m really excited about that. In fact, I’m blessing you with my first published poem below. It’s only right that my first one mirrors my work as a menstrual activist. I hope you appreciate it as I’m truly coming out of my shell. I owe it to myself. I use it to honor my family. I create to serve my people. I do it to thank my creator.
Covered by spirit. Guided by blood.
The Jellyfish
When I got my first period nobody told me about the jellyfish.
Not my Mama, Grandma, Auntie — nobody told me what I was to feel.
I had hands to hold, voices that said it's okay, it's normal, it's real.
But normal didn't have a shape yet, and natural didn't have a name.
I stood up bleeding in the knowing, feeling nothing and everything the same.
Nobody told me about the jellyfish.
The heaviness, slow and secret tide.
The way you learn to carry something
you were never taught to carry with pride.
No tea spilling on the color, texture, consistency or size.
Not even a positive scripture
that praises the magic of your insides.
Nobody told me about the jellyfish.
You know when the clot passes
like you're giving birth
to soft and strange sea jelly — man, this shit gotta be a curse.
For years I lived in the space between
is this normal and nobody told me.
Maybe it's the silence that lives inside of the same arms that held me.
Nobody told me about the jellyfish.
Their lips barely saying it's alright, 'cause nobody told them either.
Imagine a rites of passage where we can all take a breather.
Instead we're living muddled about the in-between,
while our bodies are doing ancient things
in ways that can't be seen — shamed into the dark like a dream.
The jellyfish put me on.
Told me exactly what my body wanted to say.
All the gems and messages nobody told me — the jellyfish passed on that day.
The Practice of a Hoodoo Baptist is a storytelling podcast exploring the intersections of faith, folklore, and freedom through a Southern born, Black Woman’s lens. Each episode features a conversation with a scholar, spiritualist, or storyteller unpacking the sacred technologies that have carried us—from the church pew to the juke joint to the altar. It is my personal series where I share my journey of deconstruction, Hoodoo, and ancestral wisdom. Guests also get to dive into their stories of spiritual development. Check out the latest episodes below.
Are you an author, scholar, wellness expert, or hoodoo practitioner seeking to be a guest on my podcast? Interested in sponsorship or advertising opportunities to reach my community? Simply reply to this email with full details of your inquiry or any questions you may have.
*fingers snaps* at the poem 🤏🏾🔥