There is a specific kind of tiredness that doesn’t come from work, heartbreak, or loneliness. It comes from being slowly turned into a symbol when you only wanted to be a person. Many Roma people — especially those living outside their communities, somewhere between assimilation and tradition, yet still deeply rooted in their heritage — […]

Roots are not just names on a birth certificate. They’re much more. Like any tree without roots, we might fall. I am Rom. I come from the Vlax Romani tradition. I know who my parents are. I know my story. I know my roots. But not everyone feels rooted—and those roots are what help you […]

Shuto Orizari, or Šutka, is a Roma-majority municipality just outside Skopje, North Macedonia. Unlike in many European countries, the Roma community here was never forcibly assimilated, and it benefits from numerous integration programs and initiatives that support Roma empowerment — efforts that have failed in many other European countries due to a lack of understanding […]

Photo © Josef Koudelka / Magnum Photos Long before Helena Blavatsky (1831–1891) introduced the idea of the Akashic Records into Western spiritual thought in the late 19th century, there was Roma reading—blessed by centuries, a grounded practice shaped by everyday life on the move. Blavatsky, co‑founder of the Theosophical Society in 1875, drew on the […]

As a Rom, I am not easily offended by racial slurs—that’s not only part of Romani culture, but also just my vibe. Often, I couldn’t care less about the gadje perception of the world. Their wars-not mine. Their minds—not my heart. It’s not my ignorance, mostly, I just want to be left alone, not dragged […]

Surviving outside the system for centuries, despite slavery and genocide, shaped every aspect of Romani life — including the Romani nicknames people call one another. In many communities, these nicknames can be more important than the official name. In the yard, on the street, in the house, the name you answer to isn’t written on […]

These shows are old, yet My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding and American Gypsies keep popping up on YouTube, watched by millions, repeating the same tired stereotypes and, in most cases, pure disinformation about Roma. But who cares, if the show makes some money on complete cultural inaccuracy. Bored people, licking the screen of entertainment, […]

For Roma LGBTQ+ people, there are always two worlds: one of being gay, lesbian, or transgender, and one of being Roma. Like in most families around the world, toxic masculinity is present from childhood, including in Roma families. The Romani word “bujashi” or “buzerantos”(meaning “faggot”) is the most common slang insult used against boys who […]

There is No Such Thing as a “Gypsy Shaman” The term “Gypsy Shaman” is a largely Western construct often used to describe Romani healers, but it misrepresents their role. In Romani culture, the correct term for a male healer is Chovihano. He is not a “shaman” in the commonly understood sense—he is a practical healer […]

In Western culture, sexual energy is something to control. Measured. Categorized. Optimized. Desire is reduced to technique and outcome. Satisfaction is a checklist. The body is used, rarely listened to. Sexual energy is extracted, not lived. When routine fails, Western systems turn to Tantra. Tantra maps sexual energy, teaches methods to cultivate it, expand it. […]