Diamonds in the Stars
Throughout the year, we’ll be featuring Dossé wearing jewelry and sharing insights for each of the twelve unique signs of the zodiac. Click below to find out more about:
Sagittarius
Capricorn
Aquarius
Pisces
Aries
Taurus
Gemini
Cancer
Leo
Virgo
Libra
Scorpio, the tenth sign of the zodiac, begins October 23rd. It’s also the date when Dossé-Via joins with the Natural Diamond Council to launch “Diamonds in the Sky,” a celebration of zodiac-themed jewelry made by many of today’s independent jewelers. Throughout the year, we’ll be featuring Dossé wearing jewelry and sharing insights for each of the twelve unique signs of the zodiac.
She’s an Instagram sensation, with the popular ScorpioMystique and KnowTheZodiac platforms, and boasts in all some 360,000 followers. She’s got citizenship in France, West Africa and the United States. She’s an astrology advisor to friends, family and seekers who reach out to her for readings, plus advice at guest appearances and online. She’s the mother of two (a girl and a boy), a fashion model and a dedicated role model to Black women worldwide. Plus, she’s radiant, and has the most generous smile on the planet. If this weren’t enough, she’s also a pleasure with which to spend time.
How does she do it? In a word, it’s what Dossé-via says has to do with gratitude. “Breathe out your gratitude,” she gently urges. “It’s the secret to bliss.” (If that’s the case, I’ll have what she’s having.) If the above reads like a fantasy list of bona fides (and yes, her accomplishments would fatigue any of us), Dossé-Via is not like anyone you’ve known before now. Indeed, Mother Nature has found herself the perfect communicator in Dossé-Via. Her intelligence, renown and deft handling of big-picture concerns has allowed her entrepreneurship to flourish while keeping with her social activism. Remarkably, this Scorpio is just now twenty-eight, though her soul probably has been rocking the universe for eons. “I’m just a cosmic being,” she says good-naturedly.
Dossé-Via’s parents met in West Africa, and she had anything but a typical upbringing. Born in Paris, when she was still a toddler, her father moved the family to Texas for a better paying job. Her teen years were spent in Georgia, and college was at the University of Southern California – Los Angeles. When she was twenty-five, she relocated to Togo, West Africa… Despite her whereabouts, Dossé’s serious interest in astrology has built since she was a teenager, back in the days before Google, when Ask Jeeves was the only way to find anything on the Internet.
Inspired by what she learned searching, Dossé-Via turned to Twitter, where as @scorpiomystique, she tapped her “inner astrological nerd,” began the Twitter “diary,” which fortuitously caught the attention of Katy Perry. Needless to say, fame quickly followed. It’s fair to say that astrology and the constellations of the zodiac inform the core of Dossé-Via’s beliefs and activities.
“Wearing jewelry is to see myself represented in the constellations, and to see how thoughtful the [jewelry] designers are to celebrate that we are grounded humans who are connected to the stars.”
Dossé-Via
On the subject of natural diamonds and the wearing of jewelry, here too the planets, stars, sun and moon direct her. “Wearing jewelry is to see myself represented in the constellations, and to see how thoughtful the [jewelry] designers are to celebrate that we are grounded humans who are connected to the stars.” Because of living in Africa, the continent most associated with gem-quality diamonds, Dossé-Via is sensitive to her homeland’s role and past history. Natural diamonds, she believes, are central to Africa’s future as a world leader in diamonds: “I’m very grateful to see this movement happening. I hope it’s sustainable and focused on regenerating, for the African continent is deeply regenerative.” Dossé espouses the idea of “intentional curation,” whereby beauty and harmony can flourish. Put another way, “If Mother Earth is treated as an abundant, lush paradise, then paradise can exist if we so choose. This mentality can be adapted by any human, any corporation, any continent.”
Being a self-appointed ambassador for Africa also leverages Dossé’s roles as a Black woman, as a mother, entertainer and entrepreneur. Motherhood “has given me a sense of urgency for social change,” she says. Her children, Nova Michelle—who shares her middle name with Dossé’s beloved grandmother—and Remi bring out what Dossé calls the “real me: playful and loving, and relaxed.” Have a look at her @dossevia Instagram, and you’ll see videos of her kids sharing a cup of ice cream, dancing and hugging their mother. It’s what leads Dossé to confess, “It took the birth of my children to learn that it takes a village.” In fact, it’s the idea of the village that fuels the broad platform that Dossé embraces: “I have many privileges—being a citizen of the world, being born in France, having lived in America and now living in West Africa. Africa is a source of humanity. My ancestors help and guide me in important ways. It takes being present with your blessings to remember that.”
Dossé is a seductive, powerful, force for good. She is also an optimist. “Life can be a playground,” she says, punctuated by that beaming, maternal smile of hers.
