Michelle Cassandra Johnson returns to Firestorm for a dynamic conversation with Rev. Marshall K Hammer on the occasion of her newly published book You Are Protected.

Johnson knows firsthand that we can't pour out of an empty cup—that we can't show up fully in our lives, care for others, or hold space for change if we're not strong within. You Are Protected: Invoking Spiritual Support to Sustain Your Energy shares the resources and guidance that are available to protect us at any time. Through this heartfelt book, Johnson helps us recognize and connect with that support, offering a range of potent protection practices and tools—from somatic practices to natural curios.

Michelle will be joined in conversation by Rev. Marshall Hammer for a book discussion, ritual, and Q&A.

“Michelle Cassandra Johnson skillfully reminds us that we all have a right to feel and be protected. If you struggle to meet the chaos of the world with courage and tenderness, then this book is the medicine you need.”—Lama Rod Owens, author of Love and Rage and The New Saints

Michelle Cassandra Johnson is a beloved teacher, activist, and clinical social worker with a background of over two decades of practice. She has led dismantling racism work in many settings and her work centers on healing from individual and collective trauma, coming back into wholeness, and aligning the mind, body, spirit, and heart. She is the author of several books, including Illuminating Our True Nature.

Rev. Marshall K Hammer has served in therapeutic environments for more than 10 years. She is the owner and sole practitioner of Reiki for Today and For Today Ministry, located on the unceded East Cherokee territory known today as Asheville, North Carolina. Her specialty is animal reiki, working with animals in many situations, including anxiety, chronic pain, aging, and those adapting to changing habitats or newly adjusting to losses in the home. In addition to her animal clients, Marshall also performs reiki for people seeking general well-being, energetic balance to complement their recovery, and those who are grieving. She also works with queer folks and those caregiving in their careers or in their personal lives.