– Athalyah Yisrael hopes ‘The Creator’s 7 Holy Appointed Seasons’ will encourage readers to reflect on their spiritual legacy
GUYANESE author and entrepreneur, Athalyah Yisrael, was only a teenager when she began looking deeper into the faith she was raised in, examining how that faith was influenced by culture and how it shapes identity. While she found herself realigning with biblical values at an early age, it was not until seven years later that she released her debut book, “The Creator’s 7 Holy Appointed Seasons: A Practical Guide for African Families in the Diaspora.”
While the book encourages readers to return to the divine calendar laid out in the Holy Bible, Yisrael noted in an interview with the Pepperpot Magazine this week that it also explores themes of identity, culture, and family.

Launched in August 2025, “The Creator’s 7 Holy Appointed Seasons” has received strong support and positive reviews. At its core, Yisrael hopes the book will inspire readers to reflect on themselves and ask a simple question: What would they like their spiritual legacy to be?
Yisrael’s journey of faith began in her late teens. As she shared during her interview, she grew up as a youth leader in her church and held strong religious beliefs. She noted, however, that while deeply embedded in the church, she felt she was not following the exact commandments outlined in the Bible.
As she shared, “I realised there was a difference between what was commanded and what I was doing. So that was that divine pull to be like, okay, I really want to be able to do what we are commanded to do.”
She added, “I had never heard of growing up in a Christian background, holidays, festivals and all those different things. I couldn’t find any of that in what I was reading. So I had to make some tough choices and be like, okay, so this is what I was told, but that’s not what was commanded.”
This shift at 17 was life-changing for Yisrael and noticeable to her friends and family. The change was so impactful that she felt inspired to put her experiences into a book.
However, while she felt inspired, she also struggled with insecurities throughout the writing process, noting that she first began working on the project more than seven years ago.
As she shared, “It took me seven years. It did not take me seven years because I would have written it. There were a lot of insecurities that I felt. I would have written it and then put it down.”
Over the years, Yisrael became the co-founder of Outliers Zone Caribbean and has spent nearly a decade helping individuals, families, corporations and government institutions build the financial discipline required for long-term success.
“The Creator’s 7 Holy Appointed Seasons” remained unfinished for seven years, and during that time, Yisrael became a mother of four. When she eventually returned to the manuscript, she did so through a new lens and completed the book with a fresh perspective.
As she shared, “The lens through which I completed it was different. It’s like I am now talking as a mother. That is the legacy we have as individuals. That is what we are passing on. I completed the writing when they were sleeping. I put them to bed, then wrote between 12 and 4. Especially around Emancipation, that was very, very important to me,” she said.
Yisrael shared that “The Creator’s 7 Holy Appointed Seasons” speaks on the seven holy appointed seasons outlined in scripture, walking readers through each one as the Creator commanded.
The first is the Sabbath, a weekly sign between the Creator and His people, rooted in the six days of creation. The second and third seasons are Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, followed by the Feast of Weeks, all observed according to the Bible’s own calendar, which references months such as Abib rather than January and February used today.
The seventh month carries the most holy days, beginning with the Blowing of the Trumpet on its first day. That same month holds the Day of Atonement, the one day each year the Creator commands a 24-hour fast from evening to evening. Five days after the fast comes the Feast of Tabernacles, seven days of feasting and rest.
The final season is the Eighth Day Solemn Assembly, a day of returning to the commandments and reflecting on how they should guide daily living.

Yisrael’s work is also deeply inspired by themes of identity and culture. Reflecting on the history of slavery, she noted that it has had a profound impact on the culture and family structures of the descendants of enslaved people.
Reflecting on her journey, Yisrael added that delving deeper into the structure of a traditional family has helped shape her life.
As she shared, “Returning to the Creator’s laws gives me an identity, and I understand my purpose in life. My husband and I, it’s a decade of us together. Nine years married and our oldest child is five, and we’ve had four children in five years,” she said.
Yisrael was also keen to note that while the traditional family structure has been a positive addition to her life, she believes individuals must choose the path that best suits them.
As she added, “I think if you, in yourself, feel that independence is your way, then that’s the path that you choose.”
With the book continuing to receive positive reviews, Yisrael noted that one of the main aims of “The Creator’s 7 Holy Appointed Seasons” is to encourage readers to ask themselves some difficult questions about their faith and personal journey.
As she added, “I would want readers to ask themselves, what stood out to you? What did you like? What did you not like? Think about your spiritual legacy that you are living. If you look at your spiritual legacy, how many times a day you pray, how you are living your life. And if you see there’s something missing, then it is my hope that you will find the connection in your Bible,” she added.
“Just think about your spiritual legacy. Use the book as a gauge to see how on track you are and how you can improve.”
For Yisrael, “The Creator’s 7 Holy Appointed Seasons: A Practical Guide for African Families in the Diaspora” represents more than the completion of a long-delayed writing project. It is the culmination of a personal journey of faith, self-discovery and motherhood, one she hopes will encourage readers to reflect on their own beliefs, values and the legacy they hope to leave behind.
Copies of “The Creator’s 7 Holy Appointed Seasons: A Practical Guide for African Families in the Diaspora” can be purchased through New Era Business Enterprise or by contacting Yisrael directly on 623-4386.