A Renewed Love of Books
Who am I?
Great question, thank you for asking! My name is Iya Omidele Ogunsina, I am a Baltimore-based Iyanifa (initiated in July 2025), and an Osun Priestess, initiated in August of 2021. You may also know me by my business name, The Lavender Iya, or maybe you follow me on Bluesky, or perhaps Instagram. I am a diviner, bath maker, oil maker, and all around witch bitch. To give you a little back story on where my business name came from, lavender was the first herb I ever worked with and it is often known as the herb of compassion. At the time (end of 2017 - early 2018), my life was getting the fuck BLENDT. I remember learning about lavender and thinking, “Even if I cannot be compassionate to myself, maybe I can wash my floors with lavender water, so at least my space is compassionate.” I honestly wasn’t sure if what I was doing was right, I just went with it. In March of that year (2018), I had my first reading with my now godmother (Iyanifa Oyadele Ogunsina “Olori”) and I began my ancestral practice. It was literally just vibes, lol. I wasn’t sure what I was doing. I prayed from my heart and asked my Egun (benevolent ancestors) to help me. That’s it. I became an Isese devotee officially in November of 2018. I’d say that I began my journey into spirituality in 2016 (moon rituals, affirmations, etc) and joined an official practice when I became an aborisha in 2018. As an Osun Priestess, I carry the asé of my crowned Orisa, Osun. In our practice, initiation means I am the human vessel for her spirit; I carry her with me everywhere I go.
Why this space, what does this have to do with Isese?
I love reading and I wanted a place to keep track of the books I have read and loved. The writings here are not wholly spiritual in nature, outside of the fact that I am a priest lol.
More to know
I was born in Nigeria (Yorubaddie dey) and grew up in Texas. I am a clinical scientist with a Masters Degree in Public Health. Why does this matter? I stand firmly at the intersection of Spirit and Science. I take Zoloft to manage my mental health and none of that diminishes me, or my gifts. It is important for spiritualists to share that above all, we are human beings, having a human experience. You are not less than for needing meds, support, or anything else. Lastly? I take my work seriously, I take my walk seriously, and that is about it, lol. If there is a Chief Silly Goose, it is me!. I love to laugh and I hope as you read my work, you find yourself laughing too. Welcome!
What, so these are just reviews?
Not really? This year I really wanted to commit my efforts to one of my first loves, reading. I remember learning to read quite young and the joy I felt inhabiting new worlds. So, in utilizing my free will, I opted to make reading one of my primary forms of spending time. My genres are all over, but ultimately I love learning new things, experiencing new things, and being exposed to the sheer creative magic of others. The books I write about here all share one thing: I fucking loved reading them. That is it. My writings here are reviews in the broadest sense of the word, I am not actually trying to convince you to read them. I would be thrilled if you did, but this space is for me to have a log of what I read, what I loved, and why I loved it. I hope this inspires you to read more,
With much love and in the Spirit of further, faster, stronger, and sillier:
Iya Ifawuyi