Acupunktrix: Acupuncture, Apothecary, Birth and Death Guide, 1800 Hertel Avenue, Buffalo, NY (2026)

01/24/2026

Alex Pretti, a beloved 37 year old ICU nurse was executed today by ICE. I found out soon after and watched a live feed for hours.

I was wrecked. This man was calmly recording with his phone. He did a legal permit to have a gun on him, which he had fully holstered, as is his 2nd amendment right.

He was tackled by a gang of ICE thugs and shot repeatedly. For filming. This beautiful man went out to observe and bear witness and they murdered him.

May he rest in peace and power. And may we all have the courage to stand up and seek justice for him and for all those kidnapped and harmed by ICE and our miserable embarrassment of a government.

This week, autopsies also showed that, Geraldo Lunas Campos, a Cuban immigrant who arrived legally, was brutally murdered by ICE agents in detention.

May he rest in peace and power.

And we still seek justice for the murder of mother and wife Nicole Good.

And for the over 40 people who have died in ICE custody since Trump took office.

And for every traumatized child ripped away and sleeping on the floor in a U.S. funded for profit cage. And for every mother who lost her pregnancy due to being dragged or beaten by ICE or starved or denied medical care.

We are sending our tax dollars to pay for profit concentration camps that are turning brown folks into slaves and torturing others to fill the pockets of the rich.

Today, while watching the live feed in Minneapolis, I watched them detain a black man who cried for help and repeatedly said he couldn’t breathe and needed medical attention. He was ignored. I watched a war zone happening in front of my eyes, our government waging war against its own people.

We must not look away. We no longer have that luxury. Go do your fu***ng organic zen dissociation and channeling aliens somewhere fu***ng else. Get up and do something. Say something. Act.

I sent medical supplies to Minneapolis. I’m organizing with my neighbors. We’re preparing, we’re building. We aren’t going to fu***ng sit around and let human beings be treated like this.

Our government will not save us. Congress is not going to save us, seven democrats voted to increase funding for ICE on Thursday.

WE KEEP US SAFE.s

01/24/2026

For the last 3 years I have been writing a book about death. Not in a whimsical wearing a beret in a cafe kind of way….in the signed a contract and got an advance, kind of way.

But yesterday, I told them, I’m out.
I’ll give the advance back, let me out of the contract, I don’t want to do this anymore.

When I was a 12, bony and sun brown, I was a contestant on a wacky kids’ game show. The host asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, without hesitation, I answered “writer.”

But that was the last time I was ever confident about it. I didn’t believe I was good, and so I pursued just about everything but writing.

Getting a book contract was a leap into the dark and one of the most exciting days of my life.

I wrote 90 percent of the book in 3 months. 275 pages. Countless interviews. Untold hours of research.

Just as I was trying to wrap up the final chapters, I had a hemorrhagic stroke in the language center of my brain.

Facing the task of finishing the last ten percent of that book has hung over me like the shadow of the Reaper himself. Every time I opened the files, my head throbbed and I couldn’t make sense of the words on the page. I would sweat, vomit, and shake. I wouldn’t let myself work on any other projects or classes or skill building, because I was supposed to be writing.

I wasn’t. Most of the time I was staring at the screen and hoping a plane might drop through the ceiling. I didn’t want to approach the book the same way anymore.My publisher didn’t want a memoir, they wanted a neutral how to guide.

But I almost died! I process everything through a lens of personal experience. A manual without me in it didn’t feel right.

The book stole my energy, attention and joy. If I didn’t let go, I’d drown. I was afraid to disappoint my family, afraid to lose cred and status amongst peers. But that’s all ego! I’m a different person now, and I need to write a different book. But later. Now I need to rally with my neighbors, hone my skills as a healer and teacher and organizer. Right now, it’s boots on the ground. Right now, we make the stories we will later tell. I will put my energy where it’s needed. I almost died, right now, I live.

01/20/2026

I’m not a great Jewitch. I’m skeptical as hell. Sometimes, I don’t “believe” in any of it at all. But intention and action are more important than belief.
I know that magic and ritual give my brain a way to slow down, focus my intentions, and double down on my commitments to work towards change in the real world.

Last night I met in the virtual world with 50 other humans to conduct a ritual to put the freeze on ICE. When the right says that there are witches casting spells on them…they’re correct. It’s us, we’re witches.

We met around the new moon 🌑, which in Judaism is called Rosh Chodesh, head of the month, and is the start of the new Hebrew month and particularly sacred to women/femmes/thems. This month is Shevat. In the middle of the month, Jews celebrate Tu Bishevat, the birthday of the trees.🌲We acknowledge the first rising of sap in the frozen trees, the movement of life, and promise for ice to thaw.

Last night’s ceremony involved community, music, blessings, meditations, candle lighting, snow and ice and actions, and it was all woven together with poetry so intensely raw and powerful that it made the hair on the back of my neck stand at attention.

We stated what we are vowing to protect, from innocence to family to neighbors to immigrants to activists.

This was not just thoughts and prayers, but an emotional, mental, and spiritual scaffolding for real world action.

If you are someone who prays…pray. But prayer is not enough.

We are the hands and feet of the divine. We must act. In whatever way makes sense for us. Offer childcare to activists, donate, call reps, help protesters buy safety gear, make sure your neighbors are safe, attend trainings, do legal support, inform, make art. I’ve listed these before. There is a way to contribute no matter your budget, ability, or capacity. We need everyone and we need a diversity of roles and tactics. Even witches. And priest and nuns and rabbis and imams. All hands on deck.

The light is returning, the sap is rising, the ice will thaw, together we are strong. Amein. Blessed fu***ng be.

01/19/2026

Our liberation is intertwined.

Dr. King knew that capitalism is a common enemy of the people.

Can you imagine if we united as one against the billionaires that are exploiting and endangering us all?

We are powerful together. Stop stepping on other people’s backs to push yourself towards wealth. Wealth that exploits others is poverty of the heart. We cannot be free, until every one is, regardless of color, class, sexuality, gender, ability, or nation.

The rich move through borders freely at the expense of the poor. They send our children out to die and kill other people’s children so they can fatten their wallets. They kidnap people to put in ICE camps and for profit prisons to create a modern day slave system.

Stop trying to assimilate into the culture of greed. Stop building yourself up through pushing others down. Our practice must be liberation.

No borders. No billionaires. No getting rich on unearned privilege and the labor, intellect, and artistry of marginalized people. No war but the class war.

Let’s get our house in order.

01/19/2026

The Black Panthers and Young Lords, directed by Dr. Mutulu Shakur (yup, Tupac’s Stepfather) used acupuncture to help free their community from reliance on racist medical systems.

They developed what is called the NADA (North American Detox Association) Protocol to treat addiction in their communities using five needles in each ear, placed in precise points, to support mental and physical wellness that would make getting and staying clean possible.

This protocol is used around the world now, often in situations of mutual aid by organizations like Acupuncturists Without Borders (I was trained by them many years ago).

The simple and effective system is powerful and yet doesn’t even require someone to remove clothing, is minimally invasive, and can be done in a chair in room full of others to foster community strength and support.

Prior to this time, acupuncture was virtually unknown in the Western world and we can thank the Black Panthers for showing Americans how incredibly powerful it is.

My credentials and acupuncture itself was questioned tonight on a mutual aid chat I was in.

This medicine has deep roots in supporting liberation.

I’ve been so lucky to help provide it free to many vulnerable folks in our community and hope to do so more soon. If you are an immigrant or work with local immigrants and activists and would like to set up a free community clinic for you, reach out. Let’s make it happen.

Acupuncture is incredibly effective for managing not just pain, but stress, anxiety, depression, neurological health, gut and lung issues, headaches, and allergies.

Let’s bring this medicine back to the people. It’s been amazing to see photos of the out on the streets again. Let’s honor and support them, by lifting up their legacy and continuing this work in our own communities.

Check out the podcast and award winning documentary Dope is Death for more info and how the feds tried to destroy this heart centered libratory work.

01/18/2026

Did you know we have a trans 🏳️‍⚧️resource network here in Buffalo?

If you need a trans friendly place to therapy, cut your hair, or get your Pap smear…they’ve got you.

Check the resource directory for safe and supportive businesses and services. And if you are a safe and supportive business, apply to be listed in the directory!

As a reminder, I’m a q***r mama of 4 q***r kids, two of whom are trans, and I’ve had trans partners and have other trans family so this matters to me A LOT. I offer acupuncture for general health, fertility, and even transition support as well as trans friendly birth and death doula services.

https://buffalotrn.com/

Community is what makes us strong.

01/17/2026

Made a thing.
Feel free to use at your own risk.
It might p**s them off. It might make them think you’re not worth the effort. Who can say?

Make sure that if they come to your door, you DO NOT OPEN IT.

Talk to them through the door. Ask for a JUDICIAL WARRANT signed by a judge. Ask them to hold it to a window or under the door.

Otherwise, don’t open that door.

Even if you have this on your door you need to say it, too. If you can, film yourself asking for that warrant . Film yourself refusing consent to a search.

If you are detained, assert your 5th amendment right to stay silent. Only talk to ask if you are under arrest, ask what the charges are, to give your status if you are a U.S. citizen, and to ask for an attorney. Say “I invoke my right to legal counsel.” If you don’t have a local attorney, call the National Lawyers Guild, they can help.

Don’t think you can talk your way out of it. Don’t taunt. Don’t escalate. Remain silent. They love to twist our words. (An obvious reason to break that rule would be if you are being harmed or having a medical emergency. Then clearly state how you are being harmed or what medical danger you are in).

Stand strong. Know your rights. Do no harm, but take no s**t.

XOXO

01/15/2026

Made this tonight. Yup, I know, I’ve got zero hold on branding. 🤷🏻‍♀️ To quote Ani DiFranco, “I am 32 flavors and then some.” Anyway, that’s irrelevant.

What is relevant is that ICE is kidnapping NATIVE AMERICANS.

You know, the people who took care of this land for millennia ?

ICE has been routinely harassing indigenous Americans and now has 3 Sioux tribal members in custody and is refusing to release them unless the tribe makes a deal to work with ICE.

This is brutal, colonialist kidnapping. This is racist hate used to further capitalism as for profit prisons and concentration camps line the pockets of the richest Americans.

ICE are acting exactly as they were intended to…to spread fear and intimidation, garner support amongst racists as they build steam, and then be used as suppression forces against American citizens. And if you are gonna question Native Americans on their American-ness then holy moly we’ve got some work to do.

I’m all out of zen tonight.

I’m mad as hell.

You are either with us or against us. There is no middle ground anymore. Are you gonna fight to make this country what we were promised it could be? A place for dreams and opportunity, diversity, and FREEDOM.

They use every story, every issue as a point of manipulation. They have no moral compass. They will decry violence against protesters in Iran while they are the source of violence against protestors in the U.S. They hunt drug lords when they want their oil and pardon others because the dollars will run more smoothly that way . They are hypocrites and liars and they are using the American people to enrich themselves and build a new a***n chritsofascist regime and they aren’t even hiding it anymore.

You can’t be neutral on a moving train. We are at a point where history is moving too fast. Get on the right side of it. Be brave. Be bold. General Strike January 23. Donate, make plans, call your reps. Direct action NOW.

If you think you are safe from them, your’re wrong. Unless you’re a billionaire, this government will build their bank accounts on your back. Stop pretending that any of this is normal.

01/14/2026

It’s time to step it up. GENERAL STRIKE. Friday, January 23. No work, no school, no shopping, no going to the movies, no eating in restaurants.

The only thing this government bows to is money, so let’s bring the system to a screeching halt and let our message hit their wallets.

To be sure, we don’t have the same social safety net and protections that striking workers have in Europe, so if striking will put you or your family in a truly dangerous or vulnerable situation, please don’t feel pressured to strike. We need you and your family safe.

But if you have privilege and can take a bit of a risk and walk out or no show from school or work, please do.

Most of us can make do for a bit without shopping.

Please be aware of how you may impact local and small businesses and give them extra love before and after the strike!

We want an end to violence against immigrants, protesters, trans folks, people of color, Jews, Muslims, disabled folks, folks facing illness, everyone that needs healthcare and food, folks that need help with their mental health, the elderly, infants, all our kids who are looking at a job market that is being crushed by AI and corporate greed. ICE OUT of our communities.

We want an end to US imperialism and greed, and for those in our government who have committed heinous crimes and acted in morally corrupt ways to be held accountable and removed from office. NOW.

Too much harm has been allowed to happen. There is power when we really work together.

Stand up. Be brave. Take this seriously, because if it hasn’t affected you yet, it will. (Oh and because it’s the right thing to do, for corn’s sake).

We are not powerless. There are more of us than there are of them. We are the foundation of this society. Let’s make them understand that they serve US and we will not put up with their lies, cruelty, and deceit any longer.

Friday, January 23. HUELGA! STRIKE! Our lives depend on it.

(Forgive earlier post with wrong date!)

01/13/2026

Do not be afraid, be prepared.

The news coming out of Minnesota is intense. The truth is, we don’t know if, when, or how our daily lives and access to support and resources might become disrupted under the ever escalating behavior of the current regime.

But there are some things you can start doing to help make any possible disruptions easier to manage. I’ve posted such things before, but I think they are worth revisiting.

1. Know your rights. Take a training, watch a video, or read up. Your rights might not be respected, but it is important to know them, and if possible, state them clearly while recording if facing a threat.

2. Look out for your neighbors. Introduce yourself. Share resources. Learn about who might need or can give support.

3. Make sure you have enough non perishable food and water for at least three days and optimally two weeks for everyone in your home plus at least one extra. Plan how you will protect yourself, in any location, from weather and violence, & access food, clean water, fire, clothes, rope, tools, medicine, light,transport, & communication.

4. Take a first aid training,urban or wilderness survival course. Keep supplies to stop bleeding, treat shock, splint breaks, and handle basic medical needs. Know how to use them and where they are.

5. If you will be in the streets facing aggression, consider purchasing protective gear such as masks that filter chemical agents, ear plugs for sonic weapons, sealed eye protection, and helmets.

6. Plan at least TWO secret safety meet up locations with family and friends. 1-2 local, 1 distant. Have a password.

7. Memorize numbers of your VIP’s; you might not have access to them. Know the number of an out of state contact. Have the number of the National Lawyer’s Guild.

8. Learn skills and share skills.

9. Consider becoming certified in HAM radio or having walkie talkies. Get an emergency radio.

10. Make go bags with weather gear, high calorie snacks, water, change of clothes, meds, first aid, and copies of important docs.

11. Consider keeping herbs on hand for calming anxiety. Like tinctures or glycerites of albizia, chamomile, lemon balm, or passion flower.

12. Act with love.

01/12/2026

This is the front door of my clinic.

The sticker says “We don’t serve ice here.” A play on the fact that Chinese medicine believes that cold raw food hinders digestion and steals blood and energy from the heart and brain to warm up and then break down that harder to digest food in the stomach.

But, of course, it is also a clear message that ICE is not welcome here.

It’s on the front window of our home, too. I know you’re scared, but now is not the time to hide or be silent. Courage is when you are afraid, but do the right thing anyway.

Courage comes from the Latin, cor, meaning heart. It is to act in alignment with love. ❤️ Love is our greatest gift and most powerful weapon. Love means we do not let our neighbors be kidnapped. Love means we do not let fascism rise in our country unchecked.

Today, I really want to (once again), encourage business owners, teachers, therapists, artists, to use your platform. Take courage. Yup, you might p**s some people off or lose some customers. But you also might literally change hearts and minds and save lives.

Every time I start to feel fear in my chest, I’ve begun to say, “I feel courageous.”

Let us be visibly and vocally clear that we will not let N***s destroy what little human dignity and decency we have left in this country. Do not let their actions and rhetoric become normalized. Don’t let yourself become numb to it. Don’t minimize it. Let your heart 💜 shine ✨ like a beacon. Be truth. Be love. Be joy. Be strength. Do not succumb to fear. Power up. Build coalitions. Talk to your neighbors. Make plans with friends. But do not let this become normal. If we are frogs 🐸 boiling (not so) slowly in a republican pot, let us jump out and run to freedom and then left the lid on every pot so EVERYONE can get free.

Take courage. Take heart. 💜

01/10/2026

You know, it’s funny, how upset the right gets about burning a flag in protest, when they boldly wear that symbol of freedom to sell us fascism and a Jesus they made in their own image.

They’ve got apple pie scented spray to cover up the stench of their hate and hypocrisy...but it still smells like s**t to me.

I made this assemblage awhile back as a response to the Sinclair Lewis quote “When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross”.

There is no Jesus in the star spangled Christianity of the right. No love, no welcoming of strangers, no feeding the hungry, no healing the sick. Just prejudice, violence, and hate. If Jesus was here he would flip Erika Kirk’s merch tables like he flipped the tables of people doing business in the temple.

My heart is breaking today. When I was a child, I was wildly patriotic because I believed the lie that we were the good guys. But we aren’t, and I’m pretty sure we never were.

How do we find moral high ground when we are swimming in sewage?

Friend to friend, neighbor to neighbor, heart to heart.

Cult deprogramming begins with finding common ground and understanding. It’s hard to talk to folks when the evidence against their beliefs seems so clear to us.

But everyone is looking for safety. Everyone believes they are right. How do I calm down long enough to make a connection with someone, to find their humanity?

Anger is a powerful tool. We need our anger. But we also need tactical wisdom to make this country inclusive, safe, and serving the needs of everyone not just the rich to white or able bodied or straight.

Mostly, I’m giving this lecture to myself. How do I build bridges instead of burn them?

Posting pics of art I made out of blood covered flags probably isn’t the best way. 🤷🏻‍♀️I didn’t say I was good at this.

But I’m really sad that half our country sees poor brown people as their enemy instead of the billionaires that are putting us all in a cage match.

How do we stop fighting each other, get the hell out of the cage, and bring down the powers that threaten us all? Can we deprogram the maga cult or has that ship sailed ? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Acupunktrix: Acupuncture, Apothecary, Birth and Death Guide

01/24/2026

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