On inheritance, recognition, and the meaning we carry into what we wear.
BEFORE I KNEW THE MEANING
Some things aren't learned. They're remembered.
It was 2003, and my fourteenth birthday was approaching.
My grandmother was visiting when she asked me what I wanted for my birthday.
She was wearing a gold chain with a Nefertiti pendant, a necklace I had admired for as long as I could remember. My grandmother loved gold jewelry, but there was something about that particular necklace that always drew me in.
I didn't know who Nefertiti was. I didn't know anything about ancient Egypt or Kemetic spirituality.
I only knew that something about her resonated with me.
So when my grandmother asked what I wanted, I told her I wanted a necklace just like hers.
She looked at me and asked a simple question.
“Do you know who she is?”
I told her no.
My grandmother said that once I learned who Nefertiti was, where she came from, and could tell her what I'd discovered, she would get me the necklace.
At the time, I was attending summer school before beginning my freshman year of high school.
The very next day, the first chance I got, I went straight to a computer and started researching.
THE BEAUTIFUL ONE HAS COME
I learned about Nefertiti, the dynasty she belonged to, her place in Egyptian history, and the meaning of her name.
“The beautiful one has come.”
That was one of my favorite discoveries.
Even at fourteen, something about that meaning spoke to me. I had always been someone who connected easily with others. Making friends came naturally, and I was accustomed to being admired for my appearance.
I saw something of myself in the qualities I associated with her.
Of course, at thirty-seven, I've learned that being magnetic and being discerning are two very different things. But that's another lesson life has taught me.
When I returned to my grandmother with everything I'd learned, I told her about Nefertiti with excitement, especially the meaning of her name.
My grandmother was satisfied.
And for my fourteenth birthday, she gave me the necklace.
MORE THAN GOLD
What I didn't understand then was that she had given me something much more valuable than jewelry.
She had given me my first lesson in intentional adornment.
She taught me that something beautiful could also carry history, meaning, and substance. That I didn't have to desire something simply because it looked good. I could understand what it represented and choose to wear it with intention.
That lesson stayed with me.
THE DOOR SHE OPENED
Nefertiti became my gateway into Egyptian history, Kemetic spirituality, and eventually even the Kemetic diet.
What began as a fascination with a pendant became a lifelong curiosity about an ancient civilization and its spiritual traditions.
My grandmother loved all things African. Through something as simple as a necklace, she introduced me to a world that continues to resonate with me.
She passed away in June 2025.
And while I can no longer sit beside her and share what I've discovered, I carry that moment with me.
I still dream of visiting Egypt, standing before the great pyramids, and one day seeing the famous bust of Nefertiti in person.
But the deeper journey began long before any of those experiences.
FROM ETHER INTO FORM
It began with my grandmother asking me to understand what I wanted to wear.
When I created Ancient Soul, I wasn't simply drawing inspiration from ancient Egyptian imagery.
I was expressing a connection that has lived within me since childhood. A connection that began before I had the vocabulary to explain it, and one that I experience as something deeply ingrained in my soul.
Before I knew what it meant, I knew it meant something.
Maybe that's why certain symbols speak to us before we understand them.
Maybe the recognition comes first, and the understanding follows.
Ancient Soul is a tribute to that recognition. To the wisdom passed between generations. To the people who open doors within us without ever knowing how far we'll travel through them.
And to my grandmother, who taught me that what we choose to wear can carry meaning far beyond its appearance.
Some things aren't learned.
They're remembered.
FROM ETHER INTO FORM.
WEAR THE STORY
What began with my grandmother’s Nefertiti pendant now lives in a new form. Explore the pieces inspired by that first lesson in wearing something with meaning.
Nefertiti Crewneck Sweatshirt →
ETHER2EARTH · SACRED STORIES · 004
Ancient Soul