Microbes + Spirituality with Asia Dorsey

Asia Dorsey (she/her; they/them) writes Afrofutures into existence by reweaving Black bodies into relationship with the earth through the fabric of food. She studied food and sociology at New York University but extended her education to include public health nutrition in Accra Ghana, seed sovereignty in Northern India with Vandana Shiva, and biological agriculture and ancestral nutrition with Kay Baxter in New Zealand. After healing her depression with bones, bugs, and botany, Asia took the helm of Five Points Fermentation Company in 2016 in order to bring probiotics to the people. As a bioregional herbalist apprenticing with Herbal Elder, Susun Weed, an organizational ecologist with Regenerate Change, and permaculture instructor with the Denver Permaculture Guild, Asia deciphers and reintegrates the sacred instructions of microorganisms, plants, and animals to bring the patterns of ecosystems into our people systems. You can also find her curating educational programs at the Seeds of Power Unity Farm, bone-deep in soil, balancing botanical chaos long enough for her people to rise together in power and step into the wholeness that is their birthright.

In this episode, Asia and Brandi talk about the intersections of Microbes + Spirituality, including:

• The wild notion of sugar as healing.
• How our thoughts and beliefs affect the way we “metabolize” food, people, and everything else.
• Microbes as spiritual impulses and deities.
• Sanitization, inoculation, war, and allowing ourselves to be changed by the “Other.”
• Becoming that which we resist.
• How phases of activism follow similar ecological phases and inflammatory responses in the body.
• Fermentation as a type of ancestral “inheritance” and what ancient dairy practices teach us about generational wealth.
• Viruses as adaptation advantages.
• Claiming both science and spirituality in all their complexity without devaluing either but also not ignoring each of their flaws.
• The beauty of not belonging.
• And so much more.

Listeners can find Asia online, at bonesbugsandbotany.com, and can support her and her creations on Patreon and Instagram. Listen to her on The Petty Herbalist podcast, as well.

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Music: The in-house musicians at Slip.stream
Audio Engineering: The team at Upfire Digital