Who We Are

Rev. Empress Zella Taj Kan-Aset Xi, M.S., M.Th

Founder & CEO of MoN

Rev. Empress Zella Taj Kan-Aset Xi (she/her) is a Medicine Woman and Sufi Murīd. She lives a shamanic life as a mystic, healer, herbalist, spiritual activist, and ecologist with a deep devotion to the sacred bond between humans and the natural world. She is an ordained Interfaith Minister, with advanced degrees in Ecology (B.S.) Environmental Science (M.S.) and Theology (M.S.).

Empress Zella masterfully blends the Western science lens with Indigenous ancestral teachings and universal truths across faith traditions. Her experiences as a Vitalist Herbalist Practitioner, community organizer, and campaign strategist, alongside her initiation in and devotion to the shamanic path of Ancient Alchemy with Pino Bewa, the Sufi path of Tawheed, and the Kemetic Sacred Sciences, allow her to offer a truly holistic approach to community healing and world-building. 

Empress Zella is a devoted student of the Divine and the Earth and continues to listen to the nature spirits and the Most High on the best ways to serve her community and guide individuals on the journey of reconnecting with their inner spirit and the spirits of all of creation. She believes in sharing her knowledge and the wisdom of the forest to bring us all back into the remembrance of our personal power to enact change in our lives, our communities, and beyond. 

Dr. Tiara A. Carter, PhD

Co-Lead of MoN & Education and Community Integration Director

Dr. Tee is an International Psychologist, licensed mental health therapist, professor, researcher, plant medicine enthusiast, and intergenerational change agent based in Washington, DC. She lends her clinical, educational, and administrative expertise to institutions such as Georgetown University’s Black Student Treatment Initiative and Bowie State University’s graduate program in Mental Health Counseling. With leadership experience across education, clinical practice, and entrepreneurship, Dr. Tee brings deep knowledge and a progressive approach to systemic change for the communities she serves.

Her research on how Black South African women use storytelling to resist race-based stress informs her innovative integration of non-traditional and indigenous healing methods. Combining plant medicine, herbalism, and African American spirituality, she creates spaces for individual and collective healing.

Guided by the Afrocentric principles of Ubuntu ("I am because we are") and Sankofa ("Go back and get it"), Dr. Tee connects personal wellness, community belonging, and nature. She honors her ancestors’ legacy with authenticity, integrity, and discernment. As founder of The Tea Room Co., a luxury herbal tea brand, Dr. Tee balances tradition with modern perspectives, fostering inclusion and sustainability for future generations.

New Earth Stewardship Network (NESN)

These are the MoN Temple teachers and guides—our collective of spiritual leaders, teachers, creatives, and healers of various modalities dedicated to collective wellness, personal healing, and working in right relationship with the Earth and our Ancestors.