Ep 117 Spiritual Resilience for Uncertain Times featuring Gabrielle Felder

In this episode of LaidOPEN, I'm joined by Gabrielle Felder, author of The Five Blessings of Ifá.

We talk about returning to spiritual lineage, writing about Ifá as a living oral tradition, and what it meant for Gabrielle to publish this work after being raised Baptist. She shares how being on ancestral land in the American South changed her relationship to history and belonging.

We explore Oshun and Obatala, gender expansiveness in Yoruba cosmology, burnout and joyful militancy, and how to remain spiritually grounded in times of cultural instability.

LaidOPEN offers intimate conversations at the intersection of sexuality, spirituality, and relational healing. If you're longing for depth, warmth, and nuance, follow the show and share this episode with someone who might need it.

Show Notes:

00:00 – Welcome & Introduction 02:42 – Writing Process 04:18 – Family, Faith & Secrecy 08:06 – Parents at the Book Event 09:24 – Publishing as Coming Out 12:26 – Writing About Ifá 14:11 – Southern Ancestry 18:12 – Embodying the Land 22:30 – Entering Ifá 24:43 – Mississippi River & Oshun 27:22 – Orishas & Creativity 28:03 – Beyond the Love Goddess Trope 29:00 – Yoruba Language & Gender 31:22 – Orishas & Gender Fluidity 34:18 – Micro-Acts of Freedom 35:31 – Burnout & Joy 47:17 – Collapse & Rebuilding 52:22 – Spiritual Hygiene 55:34 – Closing