Words By Ambar Ramirez She picks up and burns the sage before anything else, allowing the tendrils of smoke to cleanse and calm the surrounding energy of the tarot deck, as well as the body.  After shuffling and kissing the tarot cards, she hands them to me.  To everyone, the journey to spirituality may look different. For Lauriena Zarrelli it began with her mother and aunt passing. For America, it began around the 1800s. While spirituality and spiritualism are defined as different concepts, they hold many similarities. Spirituality is defined as the quality of being concerned with the spirit or …

Jaguars cheerleaders do more than get fans hyped   Words By Ambar Ramirez   Their teal and white costumes glitter against the lush green grass, their movements graceful yet powerful like a jaguar. These women are so good at what they do, in fact, you might forget they are just people doing what they love. While the Jaguars football team deserves the praise for the W’s, it’s time to grab some pom-poms and cheer on the cheerleaders who make up The Roar, the Jaguars cheer squad.    The Roar cheer squad is full of empowering women, but they are more …

Words By Ambar Ramirez   Imagine not knowing the next time you will eat, and living with consistent food shortages and hunger or food insecurity becomes the norm. Such a life is already a reality for millions of low-income households and for those living in developing nations. And if changes are not made now that life will become a reality for millions more.   In developing nations, the main reason for the hunger crisis stems from a lack of food production and scarcity of supplies. In America, though, the main reason we will face food hunger is due to inflation, …

  Being so close to St. Augustine, the oldest city in the United States, as well as one of the most haunted, it would be foolish to think that the hauntings come to halt once one arrives in Jacksonville. With haunted restaurants, bars and hotels, the list of ghost sightings and paranormal activity is extensive in Northeast Florida. But just as extensive is the list of abandoned buildings and houses. Considering the spooky season among us, I began to wonder, were these places left to deteriorate due to their lack of usefulness or for more spine-chilling reasons? It’s fair to …

Societal beauty standards, racism, gun violence, and stereotypes are just a few of the topics commented on in Deborah Roberts’s “I’m” exhibit. After hard work and determination to tell the stories of those not listened to, Robert’s work has been displayed and exhibited across the U.S. and Europe. And now until Dec. 4, “I’m” exhibit can be found at the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens. The large collages, mostly of Black boys and girls, on white backgrounds hung on white walls of the private space make it hard to feel like you are alone while viewing Roberts’ work. While …

Decreases your environmental impact (carbon footprint) If you’re an avid online shopper, it may come as a surprise to find out that shipping produces one billion metric tons of C02 yearly. It may also be a surprise to know that industrial pollution is responsible for about 50% of pollution in the United States. When you shop locally, there is less traveling by car, less resource depletion, and less habitat loss. Supports your local community and local economy It is estimated that for every $100 spent at local shops, $48 is restituted to the local economy. That is 68% of your …

If you’re from Jacksonville, there’s a good chance you have gone to a show at 1904 Music Hall. And when you were buying tickets, you most likely didin’t know it was going be at one of the oldest buildings in downtown Jacksonville. The building was originally built in 1904, one of the first structures to be established after Jacksonville’s Great Fire of 1901. It was mainly a place for commercial businesses, a furniture manufacturing company, a retail store and office space, then a tobacco shop for about 20 years. It wasn’t until 2011 that Jason Hunnicutt and two partners would …

I didn’t know what to expect when walking through the double doors of the Cummer Museum, the sun beginning to set behind me. Would the paintings come to life? Would I need to save the outside world from angry statues that are tired of living a life in stone and marble? I watched Night at the Museum the day before and took some notes, just in case. Instead of statues dancing through the lively kids section, I found a peaceful studio full of easels and eager artists getting ready to draw with artist William McMahan. For the first 30 minutes …