Queen Nqwamary Janiqwa Nganga

HRH Queen Nqwamary, Janiqwa Nganga, serves as Chief and Queen of the African Diaspora for the Bateke Tribe, an influential nation spanning the two Congos and Gabon. A revered High Priestess initiated in multiple African Traditional Spiritual Systems—including Yoruba, Afro-Cuban, and BuKongo-based lineages —she is a natural-born Spiritualist and Spirit Medium who bridges ancestral wisdom with modern wholistic practice.
She is the founder of Isis Moon, a wholistic wellness brand and cultural organization dedicated to reconnection within the African Diaspora. Queen Nqwamary also serves as African Diaspora Ambassador for the United Kingdoms of Africa Association and is the creator of the Goddess Memoirs series—journals and ritual guides supporting women’s healing and empowerment. She has published several articles documenting
her spiritual journey, cultural reclamation, and divine feminine guidance.
She is committed to bridging Africa and her Diaspora through cultural upliftment, spiritual awakening, and ancestral sovereignty.

Kongo Sacred Fire: Living the Spiritual Traditions of the Kongo Basin in the
Americas” is a reflection on my personal spiritual journey through initiation into
Palo Mayombe, my return to my ancestral homeland in Central Africa, and
induction ceremonies of the Bacongo and Bateke lineages. This presentation
explores the deeper philosophical and communal foundations of traditional Kongo
spirituality and cosmology—far beyond popular misconceptions—highlighting the
role of the Nganga as healer, “Great Manifestor”, community leader, and powerful
bridge between the spiritual realm and physical realm. Through storytelling and
cultural context, I will discuss how the ancestral traditions of the Kongo Basin are
lived with dignity and sovereignty in contemporary American life, demonstrating
that indigenous Kongo spirituality is not a practice of spectacle, but a way of life
rooted in divine alignment, heritage, and communal responsibility.