On this week’s episode of Spirit & Liberation, host Jeanette Charles-Márquez is joined by Manuela Arciniegas, a mother, drummer, healer, and spiritual leader across multiple Afro-Diasporic traditions. Manuela is a priestess of Shango in the Lukumi tradition, a Nyoka Yaya in Palo Mayombe, and an omo awo of Ifa. A cultural organizer and somatic healing coach, she supports women of color in the social justice movement while also working at the intersection of philanthropy, education justice, and ancestral reclamation. In this episode, Jeanette and Manuela speak about: 🌪️ How traditions like Ifa, Lukumi, and Palo Mayombe offer essential wisdom in the face of racial capitalism and spiritual crisis, 🕯️ The weight of living in these times and how spirit offers a map for survival, 🥁 The role of ritual, drumming, and ancestral lineage in building liberatory movements, 💫 And why, as Manuela reminds us, “we don’t organize alone.” Before the conversation begins, the episode includes a brief orientation to three Afro-Diasporic traditions referenced throughout: Lukumi – rooted in Yoruba spiritual systems and shaped in Cuba, centered around honoring the Orisha (spiritual forces of nature), Palo Mayombe – a Congo-rooted spiritual tradition of working with ancestral and elemental forces through sacred ngangas, Ifa – the Yoruba system of divination, ethics, and cosmological teachings, passed down through sacred verses known as Odu. Spirit & Liberation is a limited series podcast, brought to you by the Latinx Therapists Action Network, exploring the intersection of sacred traditions and political struggle. Each episode invites you into conversation with organizers, spiritual practitioners, and healers committed to weaving ancestral wisdom into the fight for our collective liberation. This series explores how spirit moves through our movements—offering tools, stories, and truths for these times.