Issue 32: Ancestral Wisdom with Komerican Shaman Seo Choi
Connecting to our heritage and indigenous practices on the Chuseok holiday!
Happy Chuseok everyone!
On Korean Thanksgiving today, I am grateful for meeting Shaman Seo, who is helping so many Komericans usher in a connection to ancestral wisdom and healing. This feels vital to shifting our collective energy — for our community to honor and heal from the intergenerational losses and gains of both Korean history and individual narratives, too. Thank you, Seo!
I also give thanks for you dear readers! I am grateful for this special community that is building and all the amazing feedback and energy informing the evolution of Komerican Pie and the Korean diaspora at large. I am grateful for our ancestors — who in response to a history of oppression and struggle, cultivated a pride in our heritage and can-do attitude that is so unique to our culture. HWAITING!
P.S. For more info on Chuseok, read Aram’s description in last week’s Korean School in Issue 31!
Flavor of the Week: KP Q&A with Seo Choi
Seo Choi (최서희) is a Korean-American Komerican shaman, author, and the founder of Alpha Sisters Publishing. She is the creator of the Morning Calm Oracle, an oracle deck influenced by Korean ancestry, and the author of Don’t Be a B*tch, Be an Alpha: How to Unlock Your Magic, Play Big, and Change the World. She has translated and published several books of Korean ancestral wisdom into English. Some of the latest publications are Budoji: A Tale of the Divine City of Ancient Korea, I Have Come on a Lonely Path: Memoir of a Shaman, and Heart-stirring Medicine of Korean Temple Food: Wisdom & Recipes from a Zen Buddhist Monk. She is based in Atlanta, Georgia. Follow Seo on IG @seochoi.shaman and @alpha_sisters_publishing. Learn more about Seo’s work at alphasisterspublishing.com.
Introduce yourself more personally in 2-3 sentences.
Sagittarius Sun, Leo Moon. Gryffindor. ENFP. Born in the year of Rabbit.
I am a queer, Korean-American Komerican healer/creative based out of the greater Atlanta area. I work mainly with people of the Korean diaspora, helping them connect to their ancestral wisdom and magic.
Where are you from?
I live in the suburb of Atlanta (Alpharetta) with my wife (Jeannie) and my stepdaughter (Jaiden).
No, where are you REALLY from? Haha!
I was born and raised in Seoul Korea until I was fifteen years old. I am really thankful and proud of my own Komerican formula.
What’s your sign?
Sagittarius Sun, Leo Moon. Fire-Fire.
But my Korean Saju (Four Pillars) - is mostly Water, no fire. My saju day pillar is Imin, which can be described as a tiger by a large body of water.
How would you describe yourself in five words?
Funny, powerful, compassionate, magical, alpha.
What do you love about being Komerican?
I love being in a position to create my own unique blend of Korean-ness and American-ness. To me, being a Komerican is an alchemy of blending both languages, cultures, arts, stories, wisdoms, faiths, histories, traditions, etc., in order to live the most divine and magical version of life for myself. I love my own blend very much!
And of course, what are your favorite Korean foods?
Tteokbokki, Korean fried chicken, and stir-fried samgyeopsal & kimchi.
What was your childhood like and what has it taught you?
My childhood came with its own trauma and challenges, as well as some blessings and magic. I think it has taught me about having faith, courage, resilience, and understanding that we are all somewhat messed-up souls trying to live this human life as best as we can.
Can you share something exciting that you’re working on now?
I am working on launching a Kickstater campaign for my next publication, Minhwa Workbook: Learn Korean Folk Painting. I hope I can launch it on Gaecheonjeol (October 3rd), but I am also trying to flow instead of forcing.
What do people underestimate about you?
I think when some people hear that I am a “shaman,” they expect me to be someone who is far from being professional, capable, or trust-worthy. There are many stigmas and unfair judgments attached to some labels I use to describe myself, and I hope to change people’s limited mindsets by being authentic and true to myself.
Share your proudest moment in the past year.
I had made a promise to publish four books specifically for my Komerican community in the past year. It took a few more months than just one year, but now these books are published and available in English worldwide. It was a lot of work but it feels amazing to deliver on that promise.
What was your hardest moment in the past year?
Navigating between muggle life and magic life. Juggling between adulting (family and other responsibilities) and wilding (staying open, expansive, spiritual, creative, free).
We’ve all been hurt in some form or fashion. What are you healing from?
I am constantly working on “not good enough” wounds. It’s been many years of healing from it, and now the triggers and wounds are super sneaky and unexpected when they come out. It humbles me to realize that healing is never a destination but a journey.
How do you love yourself?
Spending time in solitude, especially in beautiful nature, fills my own cup with love and joy. Since adulting life doesn’t allow many opportunities for solitude/nature time, I try to find small pockets of time where I can slow down, be present, with no agenda or to-do list.
How do you love others?
In my faith, The Divine/God/Universe is Love. I think being a channel of divine love, living everyday channeling love thru myself and for others, is the secret sauce. My closest loved ones are usually showered with lots of attention, affection, laughs, and FOOD.
What five things can you not live without?
My Morning Calm Oracle Cards, my faith, my wife, my journals, and of course, my iphone.
What’s your favorite dance song? (If you don’t dance, that’s okay too.)
Type in “90’s dance party” in the search box, and those are my jam.
What’s your favorite kind of pie?
My father-in-love’s famous Blackberry pie.
This Q&A was filled out and edited for length and clarity.
H Mart Happiness: What’s your favorite product and why?
“I love regular gogoma that you put in the air fryer. But this is THE product! It has a mochi consistency on the outside and then gogoma on the inside. Too bad it is so hard to find because it is often out of stock.” - Jean P.
What’s your favorite H Mart product? Share the love and leave a comment!
Crispy Crust: A Hint of Han - Subversive Poetry that Soothes
how sweet!
this little board book of feelings
caught my eye at the bookstore
an indestructible shiny cardboard creation
cherubic faces splashed on the cover
a kind diversity I had never seen in a baby book
white!
black!
latinx!
asian!
“how sweet!” i thought
until i started reading
its simplicity made very clear
how people really view us
happy! (white baby face)
SAD! (latinx baby face)
excited! (white baby face)
ANGRY! (black baby face)
silly! (white baby face)
FRUSTRATED! (asian baby face)
it scares me that in a room full of adults
at an esteemed publishing company
no one saw anything
no one said anything
it scares me that little toddlers
read this book before bedtime
or after a long nap
with a parent who will never question it
“how sweet!” they’ll say
just like i didLove, Sarah
Sweet & Salty: A Tasty Treat Satisfying all the Senses
Who else is watching Season 2 of Pachinko? I cannot get enough of it — and I’m watching every episode twice! The first time I watch for the story and entertainment. The second viewing is for personal therapy and healing. While author Minjin Lee’s bestselling book is a work of fiction - it feels so true to history and the lived experiences that inform the DNA in our own bodies today. Art reflects life, and in pursuit of fostering my life to reflect more art, I am taking notes from this beautiful work by learning to love and forgive myself and my community and all that we’ve carried. My only complaint is having to wait a whole week for each episode to release!