Romanistan

Community and Connection Tarot with Logan Dulski

• Jezmina Von Thiele and Paulina Stevens • Season 4 • Episode 12

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On this episode of Romanistan, we introduce a non-Roma international relations guest, , Logan Dulski, and the inclusive tarot deck they created, the Community and Connection Pocket Tarot Deck. We also hear from Romani artist contributors, Lane Friend, Robin Badaire, and Aurora Luna (aka Baby Recklesss). 

Logan Dulski (they/she) is a queer multidisciplinary designer, illustrator, writer, and city witch with a love for tarot. As the creator of the Community & Connection Pocket Tarot Deck, Logan has brought together the work of over 20 BIPOC and LGBTQIA2S+ artists to celebrate their home, Washington, D.C., through a travel-sized tarot deck designed to help foster a sense of connection for anyone navigating life in a big city.

In addition to their creative work, Logan serves as a board member for AIGA DC, contributing to the growth and development of D.C.'s vibrant design and creative community.

We also remind you that Secrets of Romani Fortune Telling is available for preorder, and the best way to get a signed copy is to contribute to our fundraiser or join us at a book tour event. 

Thank you for listening to Romanistan podcast.

You can find us on Instagram and Facebook @romanistanpodcast, and on Twitter @romanistanpod. To support us, Join our Patreon for extra content or donate to Ko-fi.com/romanistan, and please rate, review, and subscribe. It helps us so much. 

Follow Jez on Instagram @jezmina.vonthiele & Paulina @romaniholistic. 

Email us at romanistanpodcast@gmail.com for inquiries. 

Romanistan is hosted by Jezmina Von Thiele and Paulina Stevens

Conceived of by Paulina Stevens

Edited by Victor Pachas

With Music by Viktor Pachas

And Artwork by Elijah Vardo


Jezmina:

Hey, it's Jez with more announcements. So some of you have asked us how do I get a signed copy Right now? There are three ways to do that. You could enter our giveaway raffle and we will be choosing a winner on October 1st. You just have to sign up to our newsletter, which is through my website, because that's the one we could figure out, and follow Ramana San podcast, ramani Holistic and jasmina von tila on instagram and tag two people in the post and then you might win a copy.

Jezmina:

The other way, if you're like, well, I just want to buy it is to donate to our book tour fundraiser. So we are doing a book tour the whole schedule is on romanistanpodcastcom and we're starting in October and you could donate to our GoFundMe and $30 would get you a book plate, which is a sticker that we would sign and you would stick inside the book. So let's say, you pre-ordered it and you were like perfect, I just want a signature. It's light, it's easy to mail. That's the one $30. If you haven't gotten the book yet, or if you want another book, you could donate $50 to our book tour GoFundMe and that would get you a paperback, signed copy by me and Paulina, sent to you, and then that's the second way. So the third way is to come to one of our book tour events with said book or purchase a book there and have us sign it in person. So those are the three ways Give away on Instagram, donate to book tour fundraiser or come to book event.

Jezmina:

Some people donated anonymously, so I will respect that and not read their names. But for those who donated and are cool with their names being read Mari Kornhauser, jennifer Hogan, brittany Wodka, jessica Novak, jessica Richards, elena Dills, sarah Dimitro, william Thayberg, dimitro William Faberg, nina Sartorelli, asha Adriana, april Wall, nina Kor, sarah West and Olivia Wolfgang-Smith. Thank you so much everyone. We will continue to read out donations as they come in. It's so helpful, especially because Paulina is traveling with kids for some of the events, and it just helps us get accommodation and actually go to the places we want to go, and if we get enough donations, we can go to more places. So we really appreciate it. Thank you so, so much.

Paulina:

Welcome to Romanistan, for your friendly neighborhood gypsies.

Jezmina:

I'm Paulina and I'm Jez, and today, before we get into the interview, we wanted to remind folks that Secrets of Romani Fortune Telling, our book, is available for pre-order now and will be officially in stores this October. It's available for pre-order now and will be officially in stores this October, and that's also when we will be on book tour and we're planning to go as many places as we can and we're doing a fundraiser because travel is expensive and if you donate you can get prizes like your name read on the podcast book plates that turn any copy into a signed copy tarot greeting cards, signed copies of the book and readings with me and Paulina, and you can find the book tour schedule on our website, romanistanpodcastcom. Donate and check out where we're going to be. We'll be places like New York City, portland, oregon, portland, maine. We'll be around Boston and New Hampshire, some LA. You know we're doing our best and so if you really want us to be places together too, it's super important that you donate.

Jezmina:

Today we have a non-Roma international relations guest, a Gaji friend, logan Dulski. We're going to talk about an inclusive tarot deck. They created the Community in Connection Pocket Tarot Deck.

Paulina:

Logan Dolski is a queer, multidisciplinary designer, illustrator, writer and city witch with a love for tarot. As the creator of the Community in Connection Pocket Tarot Deck, logan has brought together the work of over 20 bipoc and lgbtqia2s plus artists to celebrate their home washington dc through a travel size tarot deck, designed to help foster a sense of connection for anyone navigating life in the big city. In addition to their creative work, logan serves as a board member for the AIGA DC. So for the AIGA DC, contributing to the growth and development of DC's vibrant design and creative community. When not listening to a podcast and working at their desk, you can find them anywhere. There's a good cup of coffee, playing dungeons and dragons or dancing in clero in the kitchen thank you for being here.

Logan:

We really appreciate you no, thank you for having me. This is great, like I've always. Never been on a podcast before, always been behind the scenes on a podcast, never been on one. Really fun so far. You belong.

Jezmina:

You belong on podcasts, uh. So tell us a little bit about yourself. Are you from dc? Is your family from dc? What do you love about this? The city?

Logan:

you've dedicated a tarot deck to tell us more um, so, like I said in my bio, I am a graphic designer and multidisciplinary artist in the dc area. Um, I really like just to kind of call myself as, like a Swiss army knife artist, because I kind of do a little bit of a lot of things and I bring them into sort of everything that I do. So for just also a bit about me I am Black and Polish and Czech Black on my mom's side, polish and Czech on my dad's. All of my family is from Maryland, even though it's like from different areas of Maryland.

Logan:

I was like sort of grew up like right outside of DC, always hanging around DC, like always traveling in and out, either for my mom's job or because my mom was always a really big patron of the arts. Like she would take me into DC to go to like plays and events at the Kennedy Center, which is this like massive theater in DC. She was always big on taking me to the ballet, to symphonies and orchestras. Uh, she really loved the arts and music herself. And then eventually, as an adult, I came back, uh, to DC for college and now for my job as a graphic designer and I don't know, I just love it. Dc is like DC has a very nice energy, which is why I think I kind of dedicated an entire tarot deck to DC, because I really do love it a lot, like if DC for all my astrology girlies. If DC was like an astrological sign, it would be Virgo.

Jezmina:

That's the energy DCc gives and I love that I you know, I only just learned about how you can um find the like sun sign or whatever, of cities and that makes me so happy. That's um. I had never thought about the astrology, astrological sign of place before, so I love that you mentioned that.

Paulina:

That's fun to know I always hear of like chakra spots in the world. Um, so I'm gonna ask you kind of our signature question do you consider yourself a rebel and why, or why not?

Logan:

yeah, okay, I am definitely a rebel. I definitely feel like I'm a rebellious person, but mainly only in the sense of like. I truly hate it when people tell me what to do. The first response I always give when someone tries to tell me what to do is don't tell me what to do. Like I'm. I'm my, my way or the highway kind of person, or at least that's how I was when I was younger. I've gotten better, where now I'm like there are multiple options and multiple possibilities, but still don't tell me what to do. So I'm like I'm rebellious in that sense. I'm like I've always in life had to carve out my own path or do my own thing, especially as an artist. So, yeah, I'm very much like that's my little source of rebellion. I'm like I'm doing it my way, I've got it, I'll figure it out.

Jezmina:

Like, yeah, that's really relatable. How did the community and connection pocket tarot deck come to be and what makes it special?

Logan:

Sure, so it came to be as a part of AIGADC's Shine Mentorship Program. Just like a bit on AIGADC they are a nonprofit where they have chapters all across the United States but DC, I think, is either the largest or like the second largest chapter. I volunteered for their organization for quite a long time because they did a lot with helping like creatives sort of connect with community and get out there. They do a lot in like the graphic design space and like the artist space. So I was a part of their mentorship program right after I graduated from college where essentially we were given this prompt of like you have a mentor, mentor, you're paired with someone to teach you something new or to learn this new skill and you get to create or do whatever you want.

Logan:

I have always been a very digital designer, like my specialty is like coding, like front-end development and web design. So I was like I want to make something that's like print, that's like a physical thing, and I really love tarot. So immediately I was like we're doing a tarot deck and we're making it all about DC, because I also really love DC, and my mentor had the idea to sort of bring in multiple people because he was like well, if you're doing it about DC and you want to focus on spots around the city that are more inclusive or diverse, you should also open that opportunity to other artists as well, because part of what inspired this deck was like as much as I love dc dc is a very you have to know the right person to get invited to the place or the space. Um, it's very. There's some spots of dc that are unfortunately, a little bit gatekept and I was always having like friends or people visiting who would be like oh, I don't feel comfortable in this space as a queer person, or I don't know if I'm welcome in this space as, like a non-white person, or I just I don't know where to get around, I don't know how to meet people or how to do these things, things and me, being a little social butterfly, little libra I am, I'm like there's a million things to do. This city's so cool. So I was like I'm gonna make a deck and we're gonna spotlight all the places in the city that people don't know about. That. I'm like I as like a bipoc, queer person, I felt safe in the space. I've like this is a great space, it's inclusive and we're gonna bring in all these different artists who also get to share their story and their lived experiences of DC.

Logan:

I also wanted to use this deck as an opportunity to highlight like notable individuals throughout the DC area that have kind of been like overshadowed when it comes to DC's history. Like, if you ever visit DC and you go to the neighborhood of Adams Morgan, there is artwork everywhere of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, which is really cool and it's really great, but she's the only notable person where there's a lot of artwork of them around DC. When there's so many people who like especially, I will say like DC being formerly known as the chocolate city, like so many black people in DC's history who shaped the city into what it was and totally overwritten, like they're not on banners, they're not featured on things. I love RBG as much as the next person, like she's in the deck as well, but I was also just like, what about all these other people? What about places like the Sewell Belmont house where Mary um, oh my gosh like the person who created the house, she was a part of the first sort of wave of feminism. Unfortunately, that house wasn't as inclusive, but it's a really cool house to check out. But then you have other monuments of DC, like the Mary McLeod I hope I'm pronouncing right right the Mary McLeod Bethelm House, which is another historical landmark in DC, where Mary McLeod Bethelm was a mentor to young Black youth around DC and she was donating to all these amazing organizations. You have people like Benjamin Banneker who literally helped map out DC's borderlines and nobody was talking about them or nobody really knew about them.

Logan:

And as much as I love DC for it being kind of like it's a city, but also it's so close to the suburb.

Logan:

It's like you do have a curfew, like there's barely a place that's open after 10 PM, like very, very rarely and honestly I think that's a good thing, like we don't need to be out all hours of the night, like let's calm down. We're not New York, but I wanted to tell the side of DC that was very much like outside of the traditional tourist and outside of the Washington Monument and cherry blossoms, because there's so much more to DC than that. So when I created this deck, I was like it has to represent not just DC but the people and the artists around the city and in the city, and it eventually expanded to including artists who weren't even, who never, who didn't even live in DC or never even visited DC, but they shared that, like same sense of desire and community. I was like you have to be on this deck, please, please, please, please, please. So that's kind of how it all started and the direction it's going and how it came to be. What a cool journey.

Paulina:

I just have to say I love how you are so dedicated to making change in your local community, because I love when people do that like you have to start at home, so super cool. Thank you for doing that. Jess and I, as Roma and generational fortune tellers, we have strong feelings about centering Roma in any media, about tarot, palmistry, teslamancy and other divinatory practices other Romani divinatory practices. That's why we wrote our book Secrets of Romani Fortune Telling. What made you want to create an inclusive deck and what considerations did you have as you were creating it?

Logan:

yeah, so also very excited to read your book. Can't wait for it to come out. But I have been studying tarot for the past maybe two to three years or so and I've always done it from like a very academic standpoint where I'm just a history nerd and I love reading about history and learning stuff and I've read like so many books and I've taken so many classes. In that time and outside of a couple of like classes I've taken with Yasmina, I was like I no one's ever talked about Romani people and their relationship to tarot or vice versa and no one's really touched on that and everything I read didn't really touch on that either. And eventually it led me down this kind of rabbit hole where I was like a lot of what I'm reading about tarot is kind of westernized, or when it talks about like I've attended tarot classes where people have attributed parts of tarot to parts of east Asia because they trace it down the line of like when paper was created to which I'm like that's very cool, but that also doesn't fully touch on the history of tarot.

Logan:

So, doing this and like wanting to create this deck, I originally like tried to write my own little uh like chapter about just Romani history. The connection with tarot like this was way before I asked Hespita to write a foreword to be a part of the workbook for it, I was like I'm going to take a stab at it. I have my sources cited, I'm going to try it. I think I wrote maybe three to four different versions of the same chapter and each of them were just not bad. Bad, I feel like it's too self-deprecating. But they didn't feel right. I was like this doesn't feel like it matches the same energy that the rest of the deck is giving off. And obviously I realize now that's because it's like it lacked that sense of emotion or like personal connection, which is something I could never have when it comes to just the deep history of aroma and tarot, because I was just viewing it from outsider, looking in from a historical standpoint. It's like it's not my lived experience. I can never experience it in that same way.

Logan:

I can definitely do what I can to like, share it and spread light on it, however I can, but that's really like it's one of those things where I'm like I have to ask someone else if they'd be willing to step in and assist with this, because I can't do it but I want it to be a part of it and truly, I did not think like when I reached out to you, that did not think you were gonna say yes. I was like I'm gonna throw spaghetti at the wall and we're gonna see what sticks, and maybe they'll reply, maybe they won't, I don't know. I'm a random person who took one of their classes like two years ago. I don't think they'll remember me. So I was like this is gonna be great having you on this and then having other, like Romani, artists on this. I was like this is even better than I could have imagined.

Logan:

Um, so it really just like warmed my heart. I think I remember after I was connecting for the first time, I was like jumping up and down in my kitchen like, oh my gosh, I'm so excited this is finally happening, happening. So yeah, it just it made me really happy. Sorry, I got rambly for a second.

Jezmina:

No, I love it. Thank you so much. It really really means so much to me that you enjoyed the classes I taught and it was exciting for you to include the Romani story and perspective. And, yeah, we were so sub-psyched that you were like, yeah, let's get some Romani artists in this and, you know, make this a facet of it. Lovely reflections from the artists, the Romani artists involved in making the deck Lane friend Robin Bader and Aurora Luna, also known as Baby Reckless three S's, who also contributed. So Aurora Luna also contributed a quote to Secrets of Romani Fortune Telling. So keep an eye out for that. I'm going to read this quote from Lane and then we'll play audio clips that Robin and Aurora sent in. So I wanted to. We asked the artists you know, what did you do and what was your inspiration? And Lane says I illustrated the hierophant card, aiming to offer a fresh perspective on this traditional symbol.

Jezmina:

When prompted with the theme of a figure who guides us but who may not always be right. I found my inspiration in the concept of freedom, a guide that allows individuals to live authentically regardless of societal expectations or constraints. For the central figure, I chose the often forgotten sister to the Statue of Liberty, the Statue of Freedom. I wanted her to resemble a real person rather than a statue, giving her a more personal relationship with the viewer. The transformation felt fitting For both BIPOC and LGBTQ communities. Freedom is the essence that allows us to express our true selves, something that was not always available to those who came before us. Freedom provides the ability to decide whether to adhere to or break away from tradition. It even allows for the possibility of both embracing and challenging tradition simultaneously. In contrast to the typical hierophant cards, I depicted freedom looking away from the viewer. This was a deliberate choice to convey that freedom is neither kind nor cruel. She is neutral. Freedom belongs to everyone. That freedom is neither kind nor cruel. She is neutral. Freedom belongs to everyone, regardless of their background or beliefs. This neutrality means that while we have our freedom, those who might oppose us have theirs as well.

Jezmina:

In front of the pillars, I included figures who have historically broken tradition while being traditional individuals themselves. One is Senator Hiram Rhodes Revels, the first person of color to serve in Congress, who entered in 1870, just seven years after the end of slavery. The other is Representative Jeanette Rankin, the first woman elected to Congress in 1916, four years before women had the protected right to vote. Both individuals are deeply inspiring, having fought for their places in history during times of significant social and political adversity. Lastly, in place of the two people traditionally seen in the hierophant card, I included an open and closed hand. These hands symbolize the choice we all have to accept or reject advice, to follow tradition or forge our own paths. The power to choose is fundamental to each individual and I wanted to capture that in my design. And we also asked you know why are Romani made tarot decks important? You know why is it important for Roman to have their hands in these things?

Jezmina:

And Lane says much of the racism and prejudice against Romani people stems from misconceptions and ignorance. By showcasing our culture through visual mediums that can be seen and appreciated by all, much of the racism and prejudice against Romani people stems from misconceptions and ignorance. By showcasing our culture through visual mediums that can be seen and appreciated by all, we can help dispel these misunderstandings and bring our voices to the forefront, just as other ethnic groups have done. Expressing our culture is more than just sharing music, language or customs. It's an act of preservation and survival.

Jezmina:

For centuries, roma have faced persecution, forced into hiding, and pressure to abandon our traditions and ways of life. Yet every time we speak our language, celebrate our history or share our art, we resist the forces that have tried to silence us. We affirm our existence, our worth and our pride in who we are and where we come from. By creating and using anything Romani made, we not only honor those who came before us, but maintain our cultural identity. This will serve as a reminder to ourselves and to the world that we are here, we have value and we will not be erased. This can be a lifeline to our heritage, a testament to our resilience and a beacon for future generations to understand and appreciate their roots. And next we have some words from Robin Bader, who we also interviewed on the podcast, so go back and listen to that episode.

Robin:

Hi, my name is Robin and I illustrated the hermit card for the community and connections tarot deck. I was asked to draw a quiet, reflective scene, set in a cafe, so I actually based it in part on the cafe where I was working at the time. But I also wanted to represent what felt to me like a distinctly Romani aesthetic sensibility. While imagining that space, I like knowing that there's someplace safe and comfortable for me, tucked away in the community-focused, community-oriented world that this tarot deck envisions. I think anybody who's a part of a marginalized group could tell you this.

Robin:

But as a person of Romani descent, I feel like there is so much in art and culture that was either taken from us or made in our image without our consent and without our involvement. Tarot and other fortune-telling practices, especially in the way that they've been commodified in the modern day, are one of the biggest examples, and people almost never talk about it. I frequently write about cultural restitution in pop culture and one of the main lessons I've learned is that these things are going to persist in the mainstream whether we like them or not. So it's really important that we take or create opportunities to be included. It feels like we live in a world now, where people are more enthusiastic about inclusion and authenticity. So I'm really excited to see what the future has in store for Romani voices in this industry, and I was really grateful to have been a part of this project.

Jezmina:

And last we have Aurora Luna's statement.

Aurora:

So the tarot card that I was assigned was the King of Cups, which really excited me because it's one of my favorite cards in the deck, and then the person was Duke Ellington, this really amazing musician. And so when I created my artwork for it, I kind of just sat with, obviously, the inspiration of the, the information that I gathered from my knowledge of, just like the king of cups, and then I did a very, very deep dive kind of into its life, and then I was just playing music and I wouldn't say like going into trance, but I definitely kind of made it this ritual of like, okay, who is Duke Ellington through the lens of the King of Cups? And I was kind of looking for reference pictures and one of the first ones that I saw was him in the bathtub and it was just this kind of like fun and playful image. So I really wanted that to be the centerfold or like the main part of it. And then I kind of just got this image of him like, yes, I want to do like musical excellence, I enjoy my art, my craft and all of that, but it's like I also balance by taking time out to be a little silly, to have a little fun and to also just like relax. And I think the king of cups and the imagery of that is kind of this like emotional intelligence being tapped into your intuition or something from beyond, and like you definitely hear that in his music, and so I just kind of let the imagery kind of come to me and then the artwork was done. I really wanted to work with a lot of blue, just because that was really one of the colors that was coming through for me, and I wanted to accent it with, like elements of gold and just I really just wanted this watery, evocative imagery that you can kind of sit with. So even if you didn't know who Duke Ellington was, you can still kind of get an impression of him from the artwork of the deck.

Aurora:

Um, and then romani tarot decks are so important because I feel like a lot of people gloss over uh, romani sinti um, just any of our diaspora, any of our different groups when it comes to divination as we know it. And I definitely feel there's this sentiment of gaslighting, because if you go to, uh, like traditional psychic fairs, if you go to like halloween celebrations, even like in movies, all of the imagery of you know this woman, normally youthful or just sexually seductive, wearing long flowy skirts, um, a bandana, the crystal ball, the cards. That's literally pulling upon romani imagery you can't get around. It would be kind of like dressing up as a cowboy and then being like, actually, no, I got this inspiration from, uh, the Walking Dead or something like that, and it's like, ok, but we literally have historical evidence of cowboys this is what they wore, type stuff.

Aurora:

And I feel like, as we are talking about reparations, acknowledgments and all these stuff for various different cultures and people of color, I often feel like Romani people, people again kind of get pushed on the wayside, and so us kind of just taking up space is something that I love to see us doing.

Aurora:

Um, I love the fact that a lot of us are putting out our own decks and stuff because it's like, on the one hand, I feel like our generation, um, it's just kind of like, no, we are going to stand up for ourselves and our history, especially a lot of us who have had to either, you know, fight to keep our cultures alive, fight to keep our practices alive, um, and then also having to deal with, you know, outside people who might not approve or people within our own communities, which is like a whole nother bag of cats that's a whole nother conversation, but it's still information, practices and a way of life that has been fought for.

Aurora:

Um to even expand upon this, like a lot of the anti witchcraft laws, a lot of the anti divination laws in the U S that's where I reside um are based off of literally racist, romani, specific, uh like anti-Romani laws, and so now we're seeing this uprise of people talking about like, oh, they're against witchcraft, it's the Jesus freaks, it's this, this and that, and then ignoring any of the historical precedent for that. Um. So I just think it's really important for us to. If people aren't going to acknowledge us the way that we would like to, it's kind of like we are rising up and using our voice and using the strength of our ancestors to create a space. It's like, no, we're not going to shake a table, we're going to make our own table and that's probably going to disturb yours and I just love that for us, for Romani resistance, and just acknowledging again where things come from, how their practice, and specifically like, if you are pulling from specific imagery, again acknowledging of that would be great.

Jezmina:

And then also just don't cosplay as us, you know thank you so much, the three of you, for writing in and sending in your voices. We really appreciate it.

Logan:

So, logan, what does it mean to you to be a witch? Gosh, I love that question. Oh, and also, before I get one quick thing for lane robin and aurora I love the fact that lane, without being added to the prompt, added the statue of freedom because that is on the capitol building at dc and I completely forgot about that. And I love the symbolism also. I think that, like Robin and Aurora's cards are two of my favorite, that they illustrate like the artwork is so beautiful so I just wanted to quickly shout that out. But I guess my to me sorry, your question was about me being a witch.

Paulina:

Yeah, like what does it mean to you? Oh?

Logan:

okay. So me, I guess being a witch is just it's all about connection. It's like another form of connection, whether it's with like people or nature, or with spirit, like for me, being so ingrained in the city. I like DC. I'm very fortunate we have so many little parks and so many places to hang out and just do things. So if I need to just connect with nature and be grounded for a moment, I can totally do that, but I honestly do a lot of my practice just connecting with people, however I can.

Logan:

Dc is a very, obviously very political city so many community organizers, so many people trying to do things but at the same time it's also a very isolated city. Like DC, I think for two or three years in a row has been voted the loneliest city in America, which I was like that is the most, first of all. Yeah, that makes sense because it's DC. Everybody who's chit-chatting and talking with each other in one way or another is kind of trying to network. So it's not really you're not actually trying to connect, you're trying to further your career or they're just not feeling comfortable in their space. It's not as inclusive. Like I said before, like so many of my friends or queer people I was running into were like I want to do this, I want to do that, but I don't feel safe in this space or I don't know where to go so I can meet more people.

Logan:

And truly, dc is full of so many great places to connect and meet with people. Like I always leave events, especially if I go to, like queer events that are happening around the city. I always leave them feeling more fulfilled, at least more grounded grounded, I'll say, in my sense of self, or more grounded in my values, especially for me, as I consider myself, I guess, a folk witch. If I had to put a label on it, just because I blend the practice of Yoruba on my mom's side with some of my family's more like Eastern European practices on my dad's side, I feel like, if anything, I'm kind of like a black Baba Yaga, just like mixing the two together and just seeing what happens.

Jezmina:

I love that.

Logan:

I was like, yeah, I was just honestly, that is the magical concoction when you just put those two together.

Paulina:

Yes, there's something about old magic, for sure.

Logan:

Oh yeah, such old magic. And DC is also a very witchy city and not enough. I don't think it gets enough credit for that. Like I have my little DC coven, I have my little Virginia Crystal City coven, I'm like I'm meeting up with all these people and we're just connecting and hanging out. And DC, I feel like, is also just a very queer city and, again, not enough people know about it either because they don't know about the spaces to meet people or to hang out like just to shout out a quick few as you are. Bar is the most amazing, safe, inclusive space.

Logan:

If you're looking to meet friends or hang out in dc, then there's femme fatale dc, where they literally only sell art created by just like queer people, non-binary people, bipoc, like bipoc community.

Logan:

They're amazing organizations like aiga dc, where we host mixers and events to intentionally get people involved in community and to have discussions about what it's like being Black as an artist or what it's like being queer as an artist. And even the non-profits we have in the area are so amazing where they have people just connecting and teaching today's youth to reach out. It's just that ability to connect with people that I think is taken for granted a bit too bit too much. I mean, and I think that's such a like potent form of magic that isn't utilized enough, maybe because it drains people's social battery just a little bit. I like I know for some of my introverted people I'm like it just whoo, you feel everything draining. But if you take the time to connect with the people around you, I feel like that's such a great way to just see magic in another light or, like use it in another way where it might not be used as much, if that makes sense community is magic.

Jezmina:

I I love that you're so involved in community and that you've also found like wonderful magical people to create with.

Paulina:

Yeah, oh, no, go ahead like I totally forgot how political dc is, because I'm like you're doing something so political, like of course you are so how can people purchase and support the Community in Connection?

Jezmina:

Pocket Tarot deck.

Logan:

If you want to support us, you can support us on Kickstarter by just linking us up Community in Connection Pocket Tarot. You can also follow us on Instagram at Community in Connection Tarot, where you can find us putting artist spotlights. We'll be posting artist interviews there as well in a little bit Some previews of the artwork. You can also get access to our newsletter, which comes out like weekly, just giving updates on the deck. We also have past versions of the newsletter on there as well and, yeah, I will say we do a lot of behind the scenes shots of like meeting up and supporting our artists wherever we can, because a lot of them are just small business owners in the DC area, which is really great. Oh, and you can also follow us on TikTok At Community Connection Tarot, because you do unfortunately have to be on TikTok as an artist everywhere.

Jezmina:

Yeah, I'm reluctantly there. I'm posting infrequently.

Paulina:

I just like to watch.

Logan:

It's the season for spooky stories. And first is that, like I said before, my mom said they used to practice yoruba, which is like its own form of spiritual practice that comes out of, I believe, west West Africa originally I have to double check that but essentially we used to have people from my family who would practice in what is my childhood home, uh, who did not study as much as they should on like protecting themselves and like protecting the space, if you're trying to get in contact with spirits or work with spirits or do things like that. Uh. So a lot of the time there would be like like, I remember as a kid seeing spirits coming out of the ceiling and my mom would be like, oh, something weird is happening here, because why is my child looking, staring up at the ceiling, talking to something that isn't there? And as a kid I was like, oh, this is my imagination, this means nothing. And it wasn't until my mom was like literally bringing in community leaders and like priests from different churches to the house to cleanse it, because she was like, no, something's up. But I was like, oh, that's what, that was Okay. Like, oh, okay. So I was actually talking to ghosts as a kid? That's so wild creepy, oh my gosh. Not talking to ghosts as a kid? That's so wild creepy, oh my gosh. Or not talking to ghosts, talking to spirits? Excuse me, um, I did, I do.

Logan:

Sometimes the ghost of my cat, my passed away cat, does wander my childhood home though. Uh, I feel like just because hopefully she loves us so much. But my dog that I have at the moment is scared to enter, like she was very territorial about her space and my dog is scared to enter spaces that she likes, like she used to love hiding out behind the couch. She used to love hanging out in the basement. Those were, like her two little areas. I cannot get my dog to go over there to save his life. He needs going down the basement. He's like it's not for me, I don't like it. Sometimes I'll go down there and I'll be doing laundry and I'll just hear meowing from a corner and I'll just be like, oh, that's my cat. There's no other reason for that to even be remotely here.

Jezmina:

Oh, I love that. Do you still see spirits? Or was that mostly when you were a little kid that you had the visual experience?

Logan:

Now it's something where it's more of a sensation than actually seeing them. I think it's because day to day I do so many like small things to protect myself. I'm like maybe I just have my guard up too much. I gotta open my senses a bit more. Yeah but, like when I was a kid. Apparently, it was like a bit of a big problem I love little psychic babies I am still seeing spirits.

Paulina:

Same um. What do you have coming up on the horizon?

Logan:

here. So, um, as a part of aeg dc like just recently being added to the board I'm planning several events. There are a lot of things happening like mixers and get togethers. A big event that we're having is DC Design Week. For any DC locals, it's essentially an entire week of events talking about art and design, starting September 27th. I'm talking like panels, book readings, mixersers. There's actually going to be an lgbtq plus mixer happening, which you'll definitely see me at um portfolio reviews for any of my student artists. Like. It's just a great way to meet other creatives in the dc area and I'll be at all those events. So please say hi.

Logan:

Uh, I'll also say, outside of that, I'm continuously working on my sex education website oneself. I created it back in 2022. Uh, it's called oneself. You can find it at wwwtryoneselfcom. It's all about learning about yourself and your body in a safe, inclusive environment. So I write articles and I publish them there, and I post artwork there as well, and it's also an an educational resource archive full of all these different places you can go to learn about your body and sex education. And I'm also because I'm doing way too many things all happening at the same exact time. I'm also writing a collection of poetry and short stories that's also inspired by tarot. So fingers crossed, stay tuned for that. That will hopefully be coming out relatively soon.

Jezmina:

I don't know yet wow, all of that is so cool. I'm such a huge fan of accessible sex education. It's so important. And also I love that you're writing books. That's so great. And everything you do with the organization sounds awesome too.

Paulina:

Yeah, I feel the same. I am a fan and thank you for all the work that you do for the community.

Logan:

Oh guys, thank you. It's honestly so much fun.

Jezmina:

Oh, that's the best when you also love it.

Paulina:

Right, I actually like what I do.

Logan:

Yes, I like my job.

Paulina:

Thank you so much for coming on the show and we really appreciate your time. We do.

Jezmina:

It was a pleasure.

Logan:

Oh my gosh, of course. Thank you both so much for having me. This has been so much fun, huge fan of the podcast and can't wait to get the book. Like I said, so this is like dream come true for me. Check out the box. I love this, thank you.

Jezmina:

Thank you, that makes us happy. Well, oh gosh, I forgot how to say goodbye.

Paulina:

I was like well, good Welcome again everyone. I know you were restarting. No, if you are still here listening. Thank you, listeners. Please donate and please check out these resources and please read our book and thank you for listening. We love you all we love you bye. Thank you for listening to Romanistan Podcast.

Jezmina:

You can find us on Instagram and Facebook at Romanistan Podcast and on Twitter at Romanistan Pod, To support us, join our Patreon for extra content or donate to our Ko-fi. It is ko-ficom backslash Romanistan and please rate, review and subscribe. It helps us so much.

Paulina:

Follow Jez on Instagram at Jezmina Fontila. Follow Jez on Instagram at jasminafontila. That is spelled J-E-Z-M-I-N-A, dot, v-o-n-t-h-i-e-l-e, and me, paulina, at Romani Holistic R-O-M-A-N-I Holistic. Keep an eye out for our upcoming book on Romani fortune telling that covers thriving in a tough world, published by wiser books, available October 2024. Email us at romanistanpodcast at gmailcom for inquiries.

Jezmina:

Romanistan is hosted by Jasmina von tila and paulina stevens, conceived of by paulina stevens, edited by cherub, with music by victor pachas and artwork by elijah vardo. Thank you.