Detroit resident Om Shanti, a Hoodoo priestess, has a massive following of people looking to create the best version of themselves.
Credit DeAndre Dean
Detroit resident and social media influencer Ashanti (Om Shanti) Barber, 31, has a lot to say about spirituality and wellness and is about bringing it back as a Hoodoo priestess.
Typically found in North America, Hoodoo practitioners practice a form of African folk magic incorporating Roman Catholic saints or biblical characters.
Barber, a rising TikTok and Instagram influencer found a sweet spot of success through her social media following after educating her followers on the history and meaning behind various spiritual practices that can be traced back to ancient African faith and religion, according to a press release. To her surprise, many people took to her messages.
“I’m not going to lie — I thought I was a weirdo so to speak,” she said. “I was widely accepted. [People] really, really quickly took to me.”
Barber added it took her “quite a while” to put herself out there and say, “This is who I am and this is what I do. I never knew there was a thirst for authentic knowledge.”
With nearly 85,000 followers on TikTok and over 28,000 followers on Instagram, Barber continues to build a strong presence on social media that her followers look to for credible advice in a space that’s becoming increasingly popular. Spirituality has always been embedded into Barber’s upbringing, as her father worked as a minister who shared spirituality practices with her. Growing up Barber also attended various spirituality training taught by the notable Queen Afua to Dr. Sebi, which helped build the foundation for the work that she continues to do to this day, according to a press release.
Barber, who describes her mother as a “universal woman” told the Michigan Chronicle that brought her around a lot of people growing up.
“She taught a new moon class when I was much younger. She brought me around influential people,” Barber said of working with greats in the spiritual realm. “I was around these very influential people. I had my eyes wide open since I was very young.”
Currently, Barber works with other icons in the healing community such as Malidoma Patrice Somé and Linda Amina Johnson. Since 2018, Barber has grown her business to include services such as intuitive readings and products such as spiritual bathing mixtures, healing crystals, spiritual body butters, health books and more. Barber wants to encourage her followers and customers to shop local with entrepreneurs and business owners who have a long history in the spiritual and healing industry.
“I’ve been working in this industry for over six years and since I’ve been in this space, I’ve watched major retailers try to capitalize on spiritual practices because they see it as more of a trend rather than for the history and purpose,” said Barber. “If you’re looking to learn more about spirituality and healing, it’s important to use items that are authentic and not just mass-produced by a big box retail company.”
On social media, Barber teaches her followers about the history and meaning behind spiritual practices and even spotlights some of the leaders in her family and community that have helped build her knowledge in healing and spirituality. This holiday season, Barber will be offering multiple healing crystal sets, her top-selling spiritual body butter, and discounted intuitive readings.
Individuals interested in learning more or purchasing any of her products can visit www.SeekingPeaceWithShanti.com.