Imani Cohen, also known as The Hood Healer, has carved out a distinct niche for herself in the spiritual realm. Perhaps she might argue that the universe, or God, carved that niche out for her. Spiritual readings into the future, readings on shows like Rap Caviar as well as workshops for the masses are some ways she uses her talents. During the 2023 ESSENCE Festival of Culture (presented by Coca-Cola), we caught up with the psychic clairvoyant and influencer to learn about how she developed her gift and manifested the life she has now.
Cohen, who was crowned “the Hood Healer” by people in her neighborhood back in Los Angeles, said she first started tapping into her gift for personal reasons. She used tarot cards to create clarity for herself when her parents died and she became homeless shortly after.
“It really was in pursuit of my own peace and stability that brought me to this,” she tells ESSENCE.
During her time as a waitress at Simply Wholesome, she would utilize tarot cards on the job. Eventually, she began grabbing the attention of other people and doing readings for them. That said, Cohen makes it clear that she doesn’t fall neatly into the box of a tarot reader.
“I'm not a card reader. I do use cards, but that is not my medium. Spirit communicates to me, and I communicate what spirit has communicated,” she explains. “I feel like the astrology, the tarot, the crystals are all extensions and expressions of the most high that really bring out our magic. And our magic has been suppressed.”
In terms of how early the mother-of-one knew she had a gift, it dates back to her early years as a child.
“I've always had these gifts, I've always had spiritual gifts, but I did not have spiritual confidence. I did not have a spiritual relationship,” she says.
Unfortunately, her talents were suppressed by her parents when she was younger–a natural response many people have to things they don’t fully understand.
“My gift was borderline schizophrenia as a child. So it was embarrassing, I feel like, for them. And the embarrassment caused it to be dormant,” she says.
Cohen’s gifts and confidence have most certainly grown exponentially as she’s built a community of over 400,000 followers on Instagram, went from homelessness to making millions of dollars, and now has the house and family of her dreams. Learn more about her journey by watching her chat with our video team, above.