Healing my Relationship with Money
- Iya Owinni Adina Fa Omi Sango
- 4 hours ago
- 6 min read
Today Is a Good Day to Start Personal Bookkeeping
This morning I woke up and sat down with my journal.
I'm trying to get into a better habit of journaling, and as I was writing, I remembered that today is the Day of Commerce.
The day of money.
The day of wealth.
The day of resources.
And one of my first thoughts was:
"When am I going to sit down with my money today?"
That may sound simple, but it is actually a significant shift for me.
In my personal Odu, I need systems and structures in place to maintain my sweetness.
When I say sweetness, I'm talking about the good things in life.
Love.
Children.
Home.
Blessings.
Good fortune.
And yes, money.
I am a Black woman from Georgia.
I did not grow up in an affluent family, and like many of us, my relationship with money has been complicated.
Money has often felt stressful.
Unpredictable.
Sometimes even painful.
I still live in the same area where I grew up, and one of the things I am actively working on is healing my relationship with money.
Not because I want to become obsessed with money.
But because I want to stop being afraid of it.
Money Wants to Come
One of the teachings that has been sitting with me recently is that money wants to come.
More accurately, the spirit of money, wealth, and resources wants to come.
Within our tradition we know Aje as the benevolent provider of human needs.
Where there is a human need, there we find her. (Oluwo always drops gems)
She desires for us to have what we need.
She desires for us to flourish.
She desires for us to prosper.
And in this year of prosperity, I've been reflecting on something important:
If prosperity wants to come, is there space for it to stay?
Imagine welcoming an honored guest into your home.
You want them to feel comfortable.
You want them to feel safe.
You want them to feel like there is room for them.
You want them to feel like they have their own suite.
Many of us ask for prosperity to arrive while having no systems or structures prepared for its arrival.
Then we wonder why it doesn't stay.
The truth is that prosperity requires stewardship.
And stewardship requires attention.
Which means we have to be willing to look at our money.
Many of us avoid doing that.
Many of us won't look at our finances until tax season.
Many of us feel anxiety when we open our banking apps.
Many of us feel dread when we check our account balances.
I know because I've been there.
The Shame of Not Looking
For years I avoided looking at my money. Not because I didn't care. Because I felt like a failure.
Every overdraft felt like a failure.
Every unexpected expense felt like a failure.
Every time I couldn't immediately cover something, I felt like a failure.
And when shame enters the room, avoidance often follows.
If I don't look at it, maybe I won't have to feel it.
But healing requires something different.
Healing requires witnessing.
This is not about criticizing ourselves.
This is not about judging ourselves.
This is not about shaming ourselves.
This is about holding space for ourselves.
This is about saying:
"This is where I am."
Because if you do not know where you are, you do not know where you are beginning.
You do not know your launching point.
Awareness is not failure.
Awareness is the beginning of liberation.
The Wisdom of Oshun's Mirror
Many people misunderstand Oshun's mirror.
They see vanity. I see self-awareness.
Oshun does not simply see herself as beautiful.
She sees herself completely.
She does not prefer the peacock over the vulture.
She embraces every aspect of herself.
The beautiful parts.
The uncomfortable parts.
The celebrated parts.
The hidden parts.
And she loves herself fully.
The mirror teaches us to see ourselves honestly.
Not partially.
Completely.
The lesson is not to stare at ourselves. The lesson is to witness ourseleves fully. It's to know orselves.
Her wisdom reminds us to look directly at our lives and ask:
Am I living my strategy effectively?
Am I being honest about where I am?
Am I willing to see the whole picture?
Today, on this Day of Commerce, we begin by seeing clearly.
Personal Bookkeeping Is Self-Knowledge
As I thought about the bookkeeping systems I need within my own work as a priestess, another realization surfaced.
Bookkeeping is not just for businesses.
It is for people.
Every one of us already has:
Income
Expenses
Assets
Liabilities
Cash Flow
Equity
The only difference is that instead of managing a company, we are managing our lives.
Your transactions tell a story.
They reveal:
What you prioritize
What you're investing in
What season of life you're in
What you're trying to build
What you're trying to protect
This is why I believe personal bookkeeping is an important healing practice.
Start Small
Today, gather every place money enters and leaves your life.
Your bank accounts.
Cash App.
Venmo.
Zelle.
Savings accounts.
Business accounts.
Everything.
Then start with one month.
Spend an hour or two categorizing transactions.
This is a common business practice that should also be part of your personal financial stewardship. The categories listed here I learned from a live hosted by Ifa College IyanifaEwa (Youtube Channel Here)
Covenant Expenses - promises, contractual, etc.
Destiny Expense - Think about your destiny and what it takes to live it.
Spiritual Expenses - offering materials, mentorship, etc.
Survival Expenses - utilities, groceries, etc.
Leakage Expenses - streaming services, impluse purchases
Follow the Streams
Once your transactions are categorized, begin asking questions.
How much money came in?
How much went out?
Where is it flowing?
What percentage is going toward survival?
What percentage is going toward lekage?
What percentage is going toward covenant expenses?
What percentage is going toward spiritual development?
What percentage is going toward your destiny?
Your spreadsheet can tell a story.
A pie chart can tell a story.
The goal is not perfection.
The goal is awareness.
What Season Are You In?
Your financial patterns can reveal your current season.
Perhaps you are in a season of growth.
You have a baby on the way. You're expanding your family.
Naturally, your resources are flowing toward preparation.
Perhaps you are in a season of stabilization.
You're building savings.
Paying down debt.
Creating security.
Perhaps you are in a season of expansion.
Launching a business.
Publishing a book.
Building something larger than yourself.
Perhaps you are in a season of legacy.
Investing in future generations.
Supporting community.
Creating something that outlives you.
The goal is not to compare your season to someone else's.
The goal is to recognize the season you're actually in.
Spiritual Hygiene Around Money
Money is both practical and spiritual.
Because of that, how we handl money should be practical and spiritual as well.
Here are some foundational sprita; practices include:
Stop Acting Like You Don't Deserve Prosperity
Especially if you provide service, care, wisdom, teaching, healing, or spiritual support.
You deserve energy exchange.
Energy exchange has always existed.
The form changes.
The principle does not.
If receiving feels difficult, there may be grief work, forgiveness work, healing work, or therapy work that needs attention.
There is no shame in seeking support.
Make Offerings
Money, wealth, and resources are forms of energy.
To receive well, we must also learn to give well.
Maintain your offerings according to your tradition and the guidance of your elders.
Pray Specifically
Ask for money, wealth, and resources.
Ask clearly.
Ask intentionally.
Make ewari.
Then listen carefully.
Guidance often follows the prayer.
Get Divination
If you have undergone ceremony and received your Odu, your prosperity strategy may already be present within that wisdom.
If not, seek guidance.
Your birth chart, spiritual systems, and trusted elders may all provide insight into how prosperity naturally wants to flow through your life.
Pay Attention to Natural Cycles
Observe the moon.
Observe your income.
Observe your spending.
Notice patterns.
Notice when money tends to arrive.
Notice when resources tend to leave.
Nature operates through cycles.
There is wisdom in understanding the rhythms that govern your own life.
Money Is Not the Goal
Many of us say we want money. Our Olwo reminds us regularly money is the tool. It is the means to which we can acquire what we want.
A home.
A stable life.
A healthy family.
A business.
A book.
A ministry.
A dream brought into form.
Money is often the vehicle.
Not the destination.
When we become clear about the destination, we become more open to the many ways blessings may arrive.
Reflection Questions
After reviewing your finances, sit with these questions:
What surprised me?
What category received more money than I expected?
What category received less money than I expected?
What season am I currently in?
What story are my transactions telling?
What would I like my money to say about my priorities next month?
What systems and structures need to be created so prosperity feels welcome here?
Today is a good day to start personal bookkeeping.
Not because tax season is coming.
Not because you own a business.
But because understanding your money is part of understanding yourself.
And understanding yourself is one of the first steps toward true financial liberation.
"If you're unsure how money, wealth, and resources naturally want to flow through your life, consider seeking divination, speaking with your elder, or exploring tools that help you understand your money story more deeply."
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