Leadership Team
Chantelle Todman
Chantelle (they/she) is a queer Black, Caribbean afro-Latinx contemplative; a first generation American with roots firmly tethered in the African/Black diasporic experience in South America and the Caribbean.
They are originally from Miami, FL and now call Philadelphia home. Deeply invested in connecting and learning from other Black artists, they enjoy getting to play and explore in nature with others. Their creative practice is always evolving, including contemplation, altar building, writing, and painting.
She is a certified movement chaplain, Liberation Reiki practitioner, spiritual herbalist and somatic apprentice, and certified queer psychedelics facilitator. They stay grounded through connection to Spirit, ancestors, nature, art, loved ones, laughter and community. Their big dream is for their own and our collective liberation, healing and rest.
tahnee simone
tahnee simone (pronouns: they/them) is a fat, Black, working-class, non-binary, queer, neurodivergent, chronically ill, first-generation Jamaican descendant, and native Philadelphian, and is a practicing Pagan Witch and ULC-ordained minister, visual and performance artist, writer, educator, organizer, and cultural worker with a focus on ancestor reverence, herbal crafting, shadow work, sacred sexuality, & divination.
In 2014, they founded SacredSkin Craftworks + Spiritual Arts, their brand of intentionally crafted skincare, herbal preparations, and ritual support items and as a launchpad for their community focused spiritual coaching, Tarot and astrology practice, working within a justice and heart-centered framework.
They believe that all things are cyclical, and honor storytelling and myth-weaving as viable methods of sharing the human experience. With a background in advocacy, mobilizing, and social justice-centered nonprofit work, they believe strongly in the full affirmation of both the individual and the collective, knowing that we all lie on intersections of experience that affect our everyday lives, including the spiritual.
Our Ancestor, Mudah
Olga Elizabeth aka Mudah, born in Guyana, South America, is Chantelle’s maternal great-grandmother and spiritual guide. She lived to be 104 years old with a strong heart and mind. We launched the Black.Bird.Rising project in 2023 on her birthday, September 20th!
From Chantelle: “Throughout many spiritual experiences, Mudah has called me into this labor of love for myself, family and community.”