Romanistan
The authors of Secrets of Romani Fortune Telling present: Romanistan! Do you love rebels? Do you want to live in a place where outcasts shine their brightest? Welcome to Romanistan! We're your friendly neighborhood Gypsies, celebrating Romani identity and outcast culture, and practicing good diplomatic relations with other marginalized communities.
We love the rebels who are living their truth, even if it clashes with tradition. We also love tradition and honoring our roots. This podcast is for everyone who loves and supports Roma & related groups, and anyone who feels like a misfit and wants to uplift others to create a beautiful community.
We feature pioneers in culture, fashion, art, literature, music, activism, cuisine, and everything good. We adore the intersections of gender, sexuality, spirituality, ability, and identity. We cover all topics, from the difficult to the glorious. Let's sit crooked and talk straight.
Hosted by Paulina Stevens and Jezmina Von Thiele. We reclaim the slur Gypsy, but if you aren’t Romani, we prefer you don't use it. xoxo.
P.S. The Romani people are a diasporic ethnic group originally from northwest India, circa the 10th century. Now, Roma live all over the globe, and due to centuries of oppression, slavery, genocide, and other atrocities, Roma are still fighting for basic human rights. We seek to raise awareness of who Roma are, and highlight Romani resilience, creativity, & culture.
Episodes
136 episodes
May 2026 Tarot Reading
You're invited to our to a free Tarot Q&A on May 4 at 5 pm pst/ 8 pm est over Zoom, then we pull the cards for May...
Jeanette Kerttu on Romani Women's Magical Practices
Jeanette Kerttu is a Romani (Kalderash) scholar and teacher of religion based in Sweden. She holds a Master’s degree in Religious Studies, with a specialization in esotericism, historical magic, occult traditions, and so-called rejected knowled...
April 2026 Tarot Reading
We pulled some tarot cards for April 2026 and get practical about patience in love, creativity around money, and what conflict reveals when the world feels tense. We weigh reciprocity, emotional spending patterns, and the kind of local communit...
Mark Baillie on his novel, Salvage
Mark Baillie’s debut novel Salvage was published by Tippermuir Books in 2024 and featured in Book Week Scotland’s debut showcase. Mark’s short fiction has appeared in Livina Press, Analogies and Allegories Literary Journal, Zin Daily and Bubble...
Tarot Guidance for March
We pull cards for March—Three of Cups for love, Nine of Pentacles for money, Six of Pentacles for guidance—and map out how friendship-first relationships, receptive wealth, and mutual aid shape the month. Come hang out with us and get some guid...
Mina Rose of Cargo Faërie: Music, Art, Dance, and Magic
Mina Rose is a Romani and Jamaican interdisciplinary artist, singer-songwriter, and flamenco dancer. A descendant of Urania Boswell, Queen of Kent Gypsies, she carries forward a lineage of musicians and storytellers, grounding her creative prac...
Your Reading for February 2026 (plus exciting announcement)!
Five years in and season 6 begins with a fiery tarot spread for February—Three of Wands for money, Queen of Wands for love, and King of Wands for guidance. We link values-based spending, mutual aid, and creative resilience to practical action w...
Tarot for the week of January 26, 2026
We walk through a weekly tarot spread that blends practical care, focused ambition, and playful growth. The Knights push action in love and money while the Page invites curiosity, resilience, and creative risks without losing ground.• K...
Tarot for the week of January 19, 2025
We read the Seven of Swords for love, the Queen of Cups for money, and the Tower for guidance, drawing a straight line from gut truth to financial flow to necessary change. We share practical steps to spot red flags, invite abundance, and stay ...
THROUGH THE FOREST with Jennifer Silva, Episode 8: JEZEBEL, featuring Paulina Stevens and Jezmina Von Thiele of ROMANISTAN
Listen to Through the Forest Podcast with Jennifer Silva wherever you get podcasts! We were honored to be guests for episode 8 where we discussed our work and the archetype of story of
Tarot for the week of January 12, 2026
A fiery, creative week invites bold love and shared projects, while money asks for caution and health asks for care. We weigh choices, trim what drains, and protect the energy that keeps everything moving.• Queen of Wands as a cue for a...
Magda Matache: The Permanence of Anti-Roma Racism (Un)uttered Sentences
We’re here to celebrate the release of Dr. Matache’s new book, The Permanence of Anti-Roma Racism (Un)uttered Sentences<...
Tarot for the week of January 5, 2026
A three-card New Year spread invites honest feeling, value-based money choices, and bold hope. We read Five of Cups for love, Justice for money, and The Star for guidance, then share community updates and a ritual to reset your year.• F...
Tarot for the week December 29, 2025
We read Three of Cups, The Chariot, and Ace of Cups to close the year with joy, direction, and heart. We celebrate community, map real money moves, and ground everything in boundaries and healing while naming the reality of anti‑Roma hate and h...
Tarot for the week of December 22, 2025
We pull three cards for the week—Ace of Pentacles, Six of Swords, and the Tower—and turn them into clear steps for steady love, smart money moves, and liberating boundaries. Foundations get built, routes get chosen, and old stories meet the mat...
Tarot for the week of December 15, 2026
We have our weekly tarot reading for love, money, and guidance. Conflict becomes clarifying, money becomes stable, and boundaries point to a fuller life.• details for donation-based
Diana Norma Szokolyai: writer, interdisciplinary artist, educator, and healer
Diana Norma Szokolyai is a writer, interdisciplinary artist, educator and healer. Her books include Disobedient Futures, CREDO: An Anthology of Manifestos & Sourcebook for Creativ...
Tarot for the week of December 8, 2025
We read Three of Wands for love, Eight of Wands for money, and Six of Cups for guidance, weaving collaboration, momentum, and inner-child joy into a clear plan for the week. We also share details for our
Tarot for the week of December 1, 2025
We read a three-card spread for the week and move through truth in relationships, steady growth in money, and firm yet humane leadership. We share personal moments of almost-omission, then offer practical steps to set boundaries, protect energy...
Morena Pedriali Errani: author, activist, and circus performer
Morena Pedriali Errani was born and raised in Ferrara, by a Sinti family of circus artists and owners. She is also a circus artist, an activist for Romani rights and part of the communications...
Tarot for the week of November 24, 2025
A steady, generous love meets values-first money choices and patient progress. We have the King of Pentacles for love, the Lovers for money, and Seven of Pentacles for guidance, tying them into calming plans, aligned commitments, and small step...
Tarot for the week of November 17, 2025
We read the Nine of Pentacles for love, the Five of Pentacles for money, and the Six of Wands for guidance to navigate a week of simple pleasures, careful budgeting, and steady progress. We also share small business updates, website bookings, a...
Azul DelGrasso on Ecopsychology and Psychedelic Healing
Dr. Azul DelGrasso is a Denver-based Romani scholar-practitioner, artist, and ceremonialist whose work bridges public health, ecopsychology, and psychedelic studies. With 28 years in STD/HIV capacity building and national training, Azul’s resea...
