HAUSWITCHES with Erica Feldmann and Melissa Nierman

Erica Feldmann holds a Master's degree in Gender and Cultural Studies, with a research concentration in Witches. Her innate interest in the connection between home spaces and wellness led to the creation of HausWitch in 2012.

What started as a “micro budget + magic = makeover” interiors blog would eventually become a thriving brick and mortar shop and online community based in downtown Salem, MA. Harper Collins published her first book "HausMagick: Transform Your Home with Witchcraft" in 2019 and her second book "Intention Obsession: Rituals + Witchcraft for Every Season" in 2025.

A Gemini Sun, Pisces Moon and Scorpio Rising, Erica lives with her wife Melissa and cat in the woods just outside of Witch City.

Melissa Nierman started NowAge Travel on April Fools Day 2017 in Salem, Massachusetts as a way to offer a container of authenticity to the many curious folks who visit Witch City each year.  NowAge - offering intimate retreats, walking tours, readings, and hands-on classes that explore our personal relationship with magic, history, and our own innate psychic-ness - works to redefine the possibilities of what it means to travel as spiritual beings here on Earth. 

Melissa - a Leo sun, Aries moon, and Virgo rising- is herself a trained clairvoyant, queer witch, and intersectional history nerd with a passion for DIY learning. With a Masters of Education + years as an amateur comedian, she brings together a commitment to the “facts” with a keen ability to see the ridiculousness of said “facts.” She truly believes that people learn best when they’re having fun and feeling connected.

In this episode, Erica and Melissa share what the zeitgeist gets wrong (and right!) about Salem, amplifying magic in our communities and homes, plus so much more. 

For more about Erica’s April 3-5, 2026 retreat at Kripalu please visit 

https://kripalu.org/experiences/intention-obsession-self-care-rituals-burnt-out-witches?sku=18438964

This episode is sponsored by WEISER BOOKS: Enter code IMMATERIAL30 at checkout for 30% off your purchase between December 30, 2025 and March 31, 2026

Visit https://redwheelweiser.com/ for a complete list of titles and creators. 

For more about Erica and Melissa visit:

www.hauswitchstore.com and www.nowagetravel.com

Instagram: @hauswitch and @now.age

Tiktok: @hauswitchstore 

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Hosted by Jessica Richards and Jezmina Von Thiele

For bookings and for more about Jessica visit: www.the12th.house and Instagram: @jessicaxrich 

For bookings and for more about Jezmina visit: www.jezminavonthiele.com and Instagram: @jezmina.vonthiele

Music and editing by DIA LUNA

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Artwork by Lane Friend 

Instagram: @friendlane

Transcript

Sponsor & Opening Welcome

SPEAKER_04 0:00

Hey in Material World listeners, we know you're always doing the work, committed to your practices around personal exploration, curiosity, and spiritual wellness. We've partnered this season with Wiser Books, who work with so many creators and with titles across spirituality, relationships, mysticism, mindfulness, and more. Like Secrets of Romani Fortune Telling. You'll certainly find alignment with what's next for you in your journey. For those in the immaterial world, use code IMATERIAL30 at checkout on redwheelwiser.com, linked in the show notes. That's Immaterial30 for 30% off your purchase through the end of March. Happy Exploring. Welcome to Immaterial World, a dedicated and transparent space to recenter how we explore glamour, magic, culture, and everything else we love together.

SPEAKER_02 1:13

As far as the galaxy goes, we're flying in the air material.

SPEAKER_04 1:42

Erica Feldman holds a master's degree in gender and cultural studies with a research concentration in witches. Her innate interest in the connection between home spaces and wellness led to the creation of House Witch in 2012. What started as a micro budget plus magic equals makeover interiors blog would eventually become a thriving brick and mortar shop and online community based in downtown Salem, Massachusetts. Harper Collins published her first book, House Magic, Transform Your Home with Witchcraft, in 2019, and her second book, Intention Obsession, Rituals and Witchcraft for Every Season in 2025. A Gemini Sun, Pisces Moon, and Scorpio Rising, Erica lives with her wife Melissa and Kat in the woods just outside of Witch City. Melissa Nearman started NowAge Travel on April Fool's Day, 2017 in Salem, Massachusetts, as a way to offer a container of authenticity to the many curious folks who visit Witch City each year. NowH, offering intimate retreats, walking tours, readings, and hands-on classes that explore our personal relationship with magic, history, and our own innate psychicness, works to redefine the possibilities of what it means to travel as spiritual beings here on Earth. Melissa, a Leo Sun, Aries Moon, and Virgo rising, is herself a trained clairvoyant, queer witch, and intersectional history nerd with a passion for DIY learning. With a master's of education and years as an amateur comedian, she brings together a commitment to the facts with a keen ability to see the ridiculousness of said facts. She truly believes that people learn best when they're having fun and feeling connected. Erica is leading a weekend-long retreat at Krupalu in Lennox, Massachusetts, April 3rd through 5th, 2026, based on the rituals in her book Intention Obsession called Self-Care Rituals for Burnt-Out Witches. You'll learn how to bridge the gap between routine and ritual by infusing intention into everyday practices. From self-care to community engagement, this comprehensive approach will provide guidance on becoming the most effective, empowered, and enchanting version of yourself as you move through our challenging world. Check out the link in the show notes for more and to book your spot.

SPEAKER_00 4:33

Or have we? I mean, we live in a town where like Well, I it's funny because actually this last October, I was outside gossiping with a few of the kind of big tourism leaders in town on a busy Saturday. And this person came up and was asking them where they could find a t-shirt that said that. And they said, Erica, you would probably be the best person to ask for this. And I said, Well, why would you want that? True, true. Um, I said, I'm surprised if you haven't found any shops yet on, you know, the main drag on Essex Street that have that. But I would also just maybe say, Do you want to wear a t-shirt about people who were murdered?

SPEAKER_04 5:29

I uh yeah, I wholeheartedly agree. And I have to say, you jumped in really hot on our intro. I love this because I was also going to say there's another meme where it says, I only like getting life advice from women who would have been burned alive during the Salem witch trials. Okay. So this is why we are having you both on the show today, because we're talking to two of the most beloved witches of modern day Salem to find out what culture gets right about the witch city and where we need to be a bit more curious about its history so that we stop repeating it or engaging in uh murder meme culture. I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 6:10

I am definitely coming hot, and then Melissa will come in with actual answers.

SPEAKER_04 6:15

I love this. We are welcoming into the immaterial world today, Erica Feldman and Melissa Nearman of the beloved metaphysical shop, Housewitch. Welcome to the pod. We're so excited to have you here today. Thank you. We're pumped. Yeah, we're excited to be here. Tell us about your personal journeys that led us here. What was the path that brought you to the birth of Housewitch? And as our episode is going to be coming out close to Valentine's Day, feel free to share a little of your love story as well. Cause we love a story.

Origin Of Housewitch

SPEAKER_00 6:47

Sure. I mean, um I started Housewitch after sort of like I feel like I was born a witch. I was always drawn to witches and witchcraft and the occult. Um but I really didn't connect with it sort of in a religious way. Um the religion of Wicca just didn't really like resonate with me. So I sort of didn't know like why I was so drawn to um that kind of material. And then um in graduate school, I sort of studied witches from like a socio-cultural political place. And actually that is when the spirituality piece came through for me. Um, because I think that it started, I started to understand the witch as an archetype, and I could really relate to that archetype. And um, you know, I think it is about someone who is the source of their own power so much that sort of like hegemonic systems need to marginalize them, um, which I think is something I can really relate to. And also just the fact that I am really political and really sort of like engaged in that way. I was like, oh, I bet like a lot of people could relate to this if it was in um that sort of context. And so I really started seeing sort of the archetype of the witch as like a uh something that you could really leverage to teach people about empowerment, you know, and I think especially queer folks and women um and other kind of marginalized um folks. And then I ran out of jobs to quit. And so I opened a witch store. And, you know, for me, like being in Salem is really important because, you know, millions of people come to Salem to learn about witches and witchcraft. And so I think it's such an amazing opportunity to teach people out about witches and witchcraft from that lens of um, you know, thinking about it historically and culturally. And like, why did we name women witches? Or why, you know, why were a lot of the um accused people women? Um what did they have that the system wanted? Um and and how does that reflect on still what's going on today um with marginalized um communities? So that was kind of that for me. I mean, it is a long story, and I am a Gemini. So um so I opened the store and I was really um grateful that it was well received sort of right away. And we started doing community events, most notably um our moon circles, which we did full and new moon circles every month. And that is what led Melissa to come to the store.

SPEAKER_01 9:51

Yeah. And destiny. So um, yeah, it's interesting. Like I've always been like a seeker, and for me, like witchcraft has not been the only thing. Like I love all different forms of interacting with the metaphysical, and that is one label um for me. But I've always been interested in the in the occult and seeking. And before I came to Salem, I was living in New York and in this very like weird like liminal space. Liminal space of like, I'm living with my aunt. I don't know where I'm going or what I'm doing. And um, but I ended up just coming to Salem to visit friends, and we had breakfast, and that morning we like walked past this brand new store, and my friend was like, Oh yeah, this this brand new store. It's only been here a few months. And in the window was a sign, like a literal sign. And it was for the new moon meditation that happened to be that night. Um, and I was like, should we go? Oh, I love this. Not really like just not really thinking, you know, and I think a lot of our initial meeting, there wasn't a lot of mental activity, you know, like none of it really made sense. And I think, you know, I was in a place that I was actually feeling very disconnected from my magic. Like I was seeking, I was learning tarot, but like I did not believe in magic. I did not believe in destiny, serendipity, like I wasn't feeling it. Like I was, I think a lot of people go through those dips, right? Where you're like feeling really excited and I'm tapped in, and then you're like, I'm not. So like I was expecting nothing, I was looking for nothing. I was just like drawn. And so we bought tickets. Me and my friend showed up that night, and where was Erica? And I was like, I am drawn to this person, you know, and um, you know, I didn't live there, I wasn't expecting anything. Um, but we set an intention that day, um, or that moon circle, and my intention was clarity. Moon circles are powerful. The new moon is powerful.

Destiny, New Moon, And Partnership

SPEAKER_04 12:06

I have to say it's like always when you're in those dips that the real magic happens when you're like, fuck that, nothing's working out. And it's like a literal sign in a window is bringing you to your destiny. I love that.

SPEAKER_01 12:19

It's really interesting. I've really found that too, where it's like the times where you're just like, wow, there's no way I'm gonna get out of this. You know, like I see nothing ahead of me. Um, and then it's right before you have a big transformation, and it's so hard to hold on to that. Um, and obviously, like the transformation was it was meeting Erica, but it was also like stepping into this other version of myself that eventually I did move to Salem. And I think because Erica had set up the structure that has helped so many people step into themselves, you know, where she is like, I'm gonna be the holder of this space. Who do you want to be? What do you want to do? What's your magic? Like, that's Erica's magic. You know, she is like, she's like, come on in. Like, what do you have to share? Like a lot of times you haven't had like a necessarily a vision of what's gonna happen, right? Um, it's like people come in, like people literally walk in through the door. Like, we have people working in the store that just walked in through the door and have been there for five years and it's completely transformed like who they are and their relationship with magic and everything. So um, so yeah, and it's been 10 years, you know, and I think um it's been 10 years of really having to step up and become a different version of myself than I ever would have imagined, and I'm still doing that, you know. So, and in partnership, it's been cool and hard. And so here we are. Well, thank you for the kind words.

SPEAKER_04 13:51

Oh, it's so beautiful. And I do, Eric, I do want to gas you up for a second here because I come from outside of the spirituality space. And in the past few years, I've been navigating that and and on my own journey of what that means. And when I look at House Witch as a brand from a holistic marketing perspective, to me, it's a North Star brand. You are not, you're not unclear about what your values are, you're not unclear about what you stand for, what's possible, but it's very friendly. You know, to walk by House Witch to look in, everyone can feel like maybe there's something in here for me. Where sometimes in those spaces it might feel very specific, or it might be just for certain kinds of witches. And, you know, you've created this space where I can bring my aunt in, and she's like, Oh, I need to like put a dollar into the gumball machine and find out what crystal is right for me. You know, she loves that. And it's like you can be a witch and still love the real housewives and drink diet coke, and boy do we and love Lisa Barlow, you know. My queen. Yeah. Well, thank you so much. That's thank you. And I think in the in those spaces, sometimes it doesn't feel like that. So I just wanted to say, you know, there's something very special that you've created for sure.

SPEAKER_00 15:11

Well, thank you. And I have to say about my wife that something that was so important when we first met, again, on the new moon. And then since then, we've gotten married on the new moon. We moved into our home on the new moon. So the new moon is very special to us. And I I don't know, I always say I'm a new moon ass bitch because I just I love the idea of, you know, just you can like rebirth yourself every month if you want to. Um, but what I'll say is that um having a partner who shared my spirituality was like the missing piece of my life, I think, which I didn't really know. Um, I think I definitely think of like religion and spirituality for myself, actually, in a really like personal and private way. And so it never felt like something I like needed my life partner to be connected to. But but like Melissa really like prompts me to think about things in like totally different ways than anyone I've ever met. And I think she is an oracle and a visionary and um yeah, has definitely just like expanded my own ideas of spirituality and witchcraft and how the universe is interconnected and um all that stuff, which is really important. You know, it's like we don't really treat witchcraft as just being like, you know, ingredients in a spell book that you put together, you know, it's really about this web of connection and how connected, interconnected you are or not, or and and and how you use your connections and your gifts to connect with other people and and theirs. Um, so I think that's a little bit more, you know, it offers a more expansive version of witches, witchcraft, the occult, whatever it is. And that's what I think like you're responding to. And I think that's what a lot of people respond to, you know, just getting back to Salem. Um I I love Salem and I uh respect everyone that owns a business there, but I do think there is a lot of overlap. Um, and there's a lot of like the same things kind of store after store. And so I do think Housewitch is a little bit of an oasis for people. It's like a little, it breaks up that energy a little bit. Um, and I do think people really respond to that. And um, and it's really authentic to us. It's not something that we have to like put a lot of energy into. It's just that's that's kind of our zone.

Defining Witchcraft And Inclusive Space

SPEAKER_01 17:47

Totally. And I do think it's like obviously having a label can be really, really useful, right? Because you're like, okay, like now I can understand myself in a certain way, I can connect with other people with this label, but it can also be limiting. Yeah. Where you're like, okay, if I'm a witch, then I have to do things like this, this, and this. And if I like this too, you know, if I like Lisa Barla or whatever it is, it's decidedly sort of anti-witchy figure. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Or whatever it is. I mean, for me, and I think just like the whole how house was house witch paradigm is just um connecting to the authentic version of you, where it's like, yeah, you get to be a witch and you get to define that. Like it's not about other people defining your connection with yourself, with the universe. Like that's already been done. There's plenty, there's plenty of that. So many people that I meet are kind of emerging from the trauma of that, you know, of being told, like, this is how you connect to God, this is how you connect to the universe. And they're like, but in a, you know, it was a situation where it's like it wasn't healthy, it wasn't supportive. They couldn't be who they were, you know.

SPEAKER_00 18:58

So that's and that's your superpower, listeners. Your authenticity and like your natural life force energy is actually your power. And so I think it's really important for us to, you know, really show people that. Um, I don't think either of us felt like we were on the right path in our lives until we really got to that authentic, you know, um, what is what do I authentically care about? And what do I authentically care that I am connected to? And um it's it's way more, you know, powerful than um what some other outside force uh might tell you, I would say.

SPEAKER_01 19:39

Totally. I'm still finding my path for sure. Like a lot of people. Well, we're also we're all still finding your path.

SPEAKER_00 19:45

But um I I do feel like House Witch is my like destiny, yeah. Um, which is cool, but that doesn't mean I have like a hundred percent clarity around, you know, even tomorrow, right? So even today. Um, but it is, I do feel like my authenticity led me to this path that I can say for certain, like, is my destiny. This is the work I'm supposed to be doing. And that in and of itself is, I think, a real luxury today in like late-stage hyper capitalism, where so many people are just being exploited for their labor to feel connected to your labor, um, is really, really uh important. So, and I as I'm sure you both know and understand, it's like one of the only reasons, you know, where ways it's it feels tolerable to like exist in this under these conditions, you know, is that I'm like, at least I'm like in my own destiny. I am not answering to anybody. I am able to just make the moves that I know, you know, and intuit are correct. And um, yeah. So does that answer your first question? Well, yeah, this is gonna be five hours long. I weren't all of the podcasts to host. Like, I am a Gemini with a Mercury eye and like I always say talking is my drug of choice. So, you know, that work. Here we go.

SPEAKER_04 21:18

I I want to pick up on something y'all were mentioning earlier about how there can be a lot of trauma in spiritual community and religious community. And at the same time, when people are trying to figure out their paths, it really does help to have spaces that feel like safer community or places where, you know, like you said, you can step in and be like, okay, who do you want to be, honey? Let's see, let's see how we get there. And building community is more important now than ever. And Housewitch has been the space where you really do that. Can you share some advice for business owners or community tenders, whoever wants to be that spaceholder? How to Build strong spaces.

How To Build Real Community

SPEAKER_00 22:02

Yeah, absolutely. And you know, it's it that in and of itself is not really easy. And I would say it's actually getting harder and harder every year because um people are getting uh more and more um, I would say um stuck in the swamps of sadness, you know. Um, but honestly, you know, to counter that with a real bright spot, we have run those full and new moon meditations every single month since we opened, like, or you know, since the month after we opened or whatever. So that's over over 10 years. And that was all through, we didn't skip a beat, even, you know, during quarantine and the early days of the pandemic. So that's something I'm extremely proud of. But I also think it's really that consistency and that like people know there's always every two weeks, you know, everybody doesn't come to all of them, right? Of course not. And we've had, I mean, just hundreds, if not thousands, of people roll through those. Um, but so it's sort of like I know there's a lot of people who are like, oh, I am feeling really disconnected. So, okay, you know, the house which moon circle is on Sunday. I'm gonna make it a point to um to be there as a way of reconnecting. I mean, when we used to do them in the store before um COVID, and I don't go to all of them either, but I remember like when you would go, it's like, oh yeah, like this is what it feels like to like really connect with people and really refresh my own sense of, you know, spirituality and connection. Um, and so I think like communities will build wherever there's a container for them. And if you can make that container be there consistently, um, then people can rely on it. And I think that's just a really important piece. Um, and something that I'm really proud of. You know, I wasn't always the most consistent and disciplined person in my life. That has definitely been something I've had to cultivate. And so, yeah, the moon circles going nonstop for over 10 years is something I'm really proud of for sure. And we have amazing facilitators, Erica, our our dear friend Erica Lee, who is a psychic medium, um, leads some of them. And then our dear friend Jana Levitzky um reads, uh does the rest of them. Um, and so they're both incredible teachers and incredible people to connect with.

SPEAKER_01 24:32

Totally. And we've also, I mean, I was thinking, I've been doing tarot salon with Jana, who also does the moon circles for eight years. And um, every month we get together and as a community, we like read tarot for each other. And I do think a big part is having a space where people feel empowered to like share and contribute. Like when people show up for tarot salon, like they're helping each other, you know. Um, I know for me, just having consistency has been so helpful to have another person to do it with. Like where it's like, there's been months where like one of us had to miss it, but we kept going, you know. Um we we completely adapted too with like um we moved on to Zoom like a lot of people, and we just kind of kept going. So I think that's a big piece to yeah, having a part having a person to do it with, I think is really helpful.

unknown 25:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 25:31

This is so beautiful. And and we know that community is so important, and we're talking about meeting with others and going into group spaces or taking it to Zoom, but in the hell, the hellscape that we're currently in, we want our own homes to feel peaceful and safe. And Erica, as the house witch, we're hoping that you can give us some tips on creating a space within your home to give you that sense of safety and peace and healing. What are some of your best practices to build those out?

SPEAKER_00 25:59

Yeah, I mean, especially for me. I mean, we just recently moved into um, you know, a much more Yeah, your house is so cute, by the way.

SPEAKER_04 26:08

I saw it on Instagram.

Home As Oasis: Practical House Magic

SPEAKER_00 26:10

Thank you. I yeah, so I mean, like I've lived in the city my whole adult life and um living somewhere surrounded by nature is still like completely surreal to me, but it really has sort of given me an opportunity to sort of rewire my nervous system in like a pretty found, you know, let's take it down to the studs kind of vibe. Um, so I've obviously been thinking a lot about this. And, you know, I would just say like your house is a sponge uh for your energy. And so being really intentional about, you know, what you choose to bring in it and what you choose to clear out of it. Um definitely like regular clearing practices, um, you know, which I always like to remind people smoke is not the only way of doing that. And that, I mean, for me, some of the most profound experiences I've had in this house, which Melissa doesn't know about, is when she's not home. And I have the craziest dance parties by myself. And you can really feel how the energy of your house is moving and is clearer and you don't feel the stuckness. And so your home has to be your oasis. And so I just think being really intentional about the energy there and that will mean something different to everyone, you know. I mean, you can definitely look at my book, House Magic, for like actual kind of, you know, rituals and, you know, crystals that you can bring in. Um, but, you know, my second book, Intention Obsession, is more about tapping into your own sort of um ideas and your own personal spin on magic. And so I think there's so many ways, and you really just have to think of like what's most important for you. Like, you know, for me, it's like if I have a weird day at work, like maybe I'm gonna take just an extra five minutes in my car to like take some deep breaths and like clear my energy before I come into my home because it's like not an energy I want to bring into my home, you know. The other thing I'll just say in the like house as sponge metaphor is like, you know, we did just move into this house and it's really been a process of clearing out the energy that was here before and then resetting it with, you know, our best energy. Um, that's what we like to say when we clear is we replace any old or stuck energy in this space with our highest and best energy. And that's all you need to say, you know, folks, walk around your house with a bell, just repeat that incantation. That's it. It's it doesn't have to be a huge thing. But something that really shifted the energy in the house more than anything was we had a big staff karaoke party here um at the beginning of this love this. And this house, you know, it's from the 70s, it's mid-century modern, it's sexy as hell. And I was like, it wants to be a party house. And so we have this party. And like Melissa was laughing at me because, like, for days afterwards, I was just like, the house feels so good. Like it loved having that party so much. You can just tell, like, everything's so buzzing. Um, so just being intentional, what do you want your oasis to feel like? You know, if you wanted to feel like a spa, like get a fluffy robe and you know, have a playlist of spa music that you turn on when you come home. Definitely have lamps, don't do that overhead lighting stuff. That is vibe killer number one, you know. So I think it's just about like tapping in. Melissa was trying to pick a paint color a couple of weeks ago, and I said, tap into what you want to feel like in that space, you know. That's because I can't tell you how to make your home feel serene because something that might make you feel serene might make me feel really restless, you know, or something like that. So um, those are kind of my like blanket tips. And then yeah, just thinking about like for us, we're like, okay, like we want our bathroom to remind us of our trip to Greece, um, because that feels really replenishing to us and you know, reminds us of pop that there are positive things still happening in the hillscape. So that's my answer. I don't know. Do you have anything to add?

unknown 30:39

No. Okay, great.

SPEAKER_04 30:41

I I will say I love that you brought up like all this the power of vocalization, whether it's singing or ringing the bells, because um I live in a studio apartment, so it's a very small space. And if I have a weird work day or if there's weird emotional things, I feel like the energy gets real weird very quickly in such a small spot. So the last time I was in town, I did get my countermagic banish spray. And I will spray that with the window open and I'll just be like, no, I don't think so. Like I always feel like opening that throat chakra and being like, I don't think so. I'm not taking this on. Like I love that. You know, like a really like empowered woman, like I don't think so, bad energy. So yeah, real, really big on the vibes. I also have a lot of Gemini placements, so I gotta let it out.

SPEAKER_00 31:25

Perfect. Yeah, 100%.

SPEAKER_04 31:29

Yeah, speaking of intention obsession where you're giving guidance on the rituals and witchcraft that you love as we love to indulge in it, especially seasonally. Can you give us some insight about where to put our energy in these last weeks of winter as we're preparing for spring? I know um for me, I definitely get the SABs, but I feel like it's helpful for to keep me rooted in why this moment is special and what it's doing for me and how can I work with it. So we would love to hear your thoughts on seasonal work.

Wintering, Seasonality, And Intuition

SPEAKER_00 32:05

Yeah, definitely. I mean, February and March are brutal. And then like April in New England has its own brutality and that you keep thinking it's gonna be the month that things turn around, but it never does until May, you know? So totally. Um, one of the things that led to intention obsession was me trying to reframe winter because I've always hated it. And, you know, during the pandemic, when we were like really stuck inside so much too, you know, um, I took a class with um Sister Spinster Liz McGuirelli called Tending the Hearth, and she talked about intentional wintering. And that really shifted for me. I mean, I still, it's not my favorite season for sure, but something I think that we lose sight of because the beginning of winter is so frenetic with the holidays, New Year's, etc. It's like one of the great disservices I think that has been done to winter is that we like decided Jesus' birthday was like right there, and then just I don't know. So the late winter can be what winter is supposed to be, which is a time for like yin energy instead of yang, um, for appreciating what is quiet, um, what is slow. And there are all sorts of like cool winter deities too. I recently, you know, over the last few years have been sort of fostering a relationship with Holda, who is a German snow goddess. And that is my ancestry is German, in case you couldn't tell by the spelling of my business. But um, that has like brought a different layer of appreciation, I suppose. Um, and so like in the book, the rituals that I suggest are, you know, there is one for sort of getting outside and still tapping into your senses. Um, but I would say, you know, in Pisces season, I talk a lot about reconnecting to your intuition, which is very hard to do when things are loud and fast and overstimulating. Um, and so there are a few exercises in there for tapping into your intuition and decoding your dreams. And um, and actually in Aquarius, there's one called a wisdom wormhole where you just set aside some time to like get into something you've been randomly interested in. Um, because, you know, maybe you have more time than you do other times of year to just focus on something internal, something that's just for you. Um and yeah, just appreciating it as hibernation season. I mean, like, what do all the animals do? Like, we live in the middle of the woods. We I've barely seen an animal for two weeks, you know, because they're not out trying to do life in this. They're like, no, no, no, we'll be, we'll be away.

SPEAKER_01 35:02

And they're definitely not judging themselves for not doing life. That's the big thing. That is yes. So many of us get value from production. I I feel like, I mean, I've gone into the deepest depressions, just like I feel like a different person. I'm like taken over by a demon in the winter, where I'm just like, how can I possibly ever be that other version of myself again? And um, the judgment piece really, yeah, that's that's the hardest. It's like, how can I just be still and just know that this is one part of the cycle?

SPEAKER_00 35:34

Yeah, you know, I think something that was important when I was writing Intention Obsession is like, was like taking back seasonality from capitalism, right? Because um we are supposed to be doing all of these things. I mean, first of all, all the time, you know, we're we're never supposed to rest under capitalism. Um, and when you really start peeling that back and peeling back, you know, Christianity and peeling back just all of these like structures, and you you you realize like, you know, we can still tap into these harmonies again with enough intention. Um, you can still be part of like the world that's not the world mediated by, you know, these other forces. Um, and I think it's actually like a great way. But something that really interests me is like sort of uh the commoditization of seasons, which I don't love, you know. I mean, I definitely don't love just the like shelves and shelves of like mass-produced, you know, future trash on the shelves of home, you know, I mean, whatever, um, home goods stores and um the like, you know, but it does show that people are innately really connected to seasonality and they do really want to deep dive into their pumpkin spice lattes, you know what I mean? And and so I do think if you can um harness that for good instead of just straight up consumption, then you are gonna be able to really touch something in people that is there because literally for like tens of thousands of years, that's actually how humans operated. And it's really just the last, you know, few thousand that we've gotten into these kind of other patterns and cycles. And so it's really about reaching something that is so much more human than what we're doing now, I would say.

SPEAKER_04 37:44

Oh, I love that so much. And I also get the biggest ick from those seasonal aisles, they're so upsetting, and then they're 50. First of all, they come way too early, and then they're 50% off the day. Afterwards, it it just always gives me the biggest yuck.

SPEAKER_00 37:58

It really is. And I would just like encourage, you know, especially just like people who are interested in this world of magic and witchcraft and stuff like that, to be discerning when it comes to that stuff, you know, because um as witches, I think it's important to, you know, not do harm, right? And stuff that is gonna literally end up in a landfill, like without a doubt, you know, because you look at that stuff and you're just like, you are not gonna care about this in like, you know, even by next year. And then you're gonna be back at this place buying more of this stuff. And I just think that is counter to the sort of mission and vibe and um benefit of spirituality, right?

SPEAKER_03 38:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 38:47

Um, so please, you can like really like celebrate the season in ways that are not mass consumption. Please.

SPEAKER_04 38:56

Complete, yeah, completely agree. And I and I love this idea that it's signaling to you that you want to participate in seasonality and you want to touch into that part of you that's that's in your ancestral, you know, bones that you have. Which is is it's a great place to start. And there's so many better solves and and more eco-friendly ways to solve.

SPEAKER_00 39:18

You will have more fun making a like fall apple cinnamon scented simmer pot than you will looking at the plastic that some exploited person had to make somewhere um on your shelf. I know it. I know it to be true. Make the simmer pot, please. Yes, I love the simmer pot so much.

SPEAKER_04 39:41

I mean, who how could you not? Oh man, yeah. I mean, I am also really excited to get into the magic of place because I feel like we're in the magic of season. Melissa, we really want to ask you about the history of Salem. What does the zeitgeist have wrong about the witch city? And what do they have right?

SPEAKER_00 40:04

Well, first of all, no witches were burned here. I know, I know this question is for Melissa, but going back to the very beginning of this, there were no witches burned, no people burned in Salem. Just yeah.

Salem Myths Vs. Reality

SPEAKER_01 40:18

Sometimes we'll burn Christmas trees, like as like a collective, you know, how to get rid of your Christmas tree, but that's that's it. We've burned, we've had some arson, we've burned some buildings. Um, you know, it's so interesting because I've been doing tours in Salem since like 2018. And um, I meet so many people that are on these pilgrimages and they're like really looking for something, you know, and people come with all different ideas about like what Salem is, what they're gonna get there. Um, I do feel like some people are disappointed and some people find it, but I meet a lot of people that when they tell their family and friends that they're coming to Salem, like they're scared for them. You know, like they are scared that they're gonna get hexed. You know, they're like there are witches around every corner and they're gonna curse them in some way, they're gonna make them read tarot, they're gonna whatever it is.

SPEAKER_04 41:13

Um and we are, and they're they're gonna force them to be self-reflective and tap into their intuition terrible things.

SPEAKER_01 41:22

Totally. And said it, you said it, yep. I mean, Salem, it's such a powerful place because it really is. I always talk about this, but it's like the holder of the shadow, meaning it's like the holder of like everything we're taught within our communities, within our families, and you know, all these institutions to believe is wrong in some way or too dark to get into, or whatever, whatever the story is. And people come to Salem to do that thing and to like touch it a little bit. We're like, you want some ghosts, you want some zombies, you want, you know, you want some witches, you want, you know. And so I do think, you know, I do think there's like a fear factor that exists, um, where we like really embrace the things that you're afraid of, but it doesn't mean it's scary, if that makes sense. Um I also like I do think some people like saw Hocus Pocus and like think the whole town is thatched roofs, and like we're like really straight, we're still living in the 1600s and they're a little disappointed when you know it's a city and hocus pocus truly has such a chokehold on our nation.

SPEAKER_00 42:29

I can't even, I can't even tell you. Like people love it.

SPEAKER_01 42:32

Oh, the bachelorettes, they love it. But honestly, like it is this thing where it's like I think people saw it like growing up as like little children, right? They're like eight-year-olds and they like they're like, ooh, what is this? It's a witch, it's witch witches with sisters, and they're funny and they're having a good time, and there's no men around, and you're like, What is it? There's a talking cat, and it like awoke something in them. And so, you know, a lot of the people that I meet, whether they love hocus pocus or not, and most of them do love hocus pocus, to be honest. They love it, and they're like crying when there's they're like, Oh my god, it's Allison's house, or my god, excited to stand in it. It like awakens that whatever awoken childhood, that's what they're coming back to, you know.

SPEAKER_04 43:20

And and I'll say this, you know, I often think about this and I'm curious your thoughts. I grew up in Massachusetts in the South Shore. So we regularly went on field trips to Salem. This was something that was part of my life. Do you think that there's a magic that's lost because of the proximity? Like, are we just not as is it too familiar to us in a way? I can understand like a being from a completely different part of the the the country or the world and being like, wow, this must be a super magical place that's holding all of this magical energy. So I'm curious if you think that's kind of the magical lens that Salem gets put through.

SPEAKER_01 43:59

It's interesting. it's like yeah people are here to find magic in a lot of different ways and I think a lot of what they think magic is can come from pop culture right and it kind of says that bippity boop did it you know like abracadabra and um a lot of times we do provide that for them but I do find that a lot of people that really get what like come away from Salem where they're like wow I kind of like found it I love this place I feel like myself that's what I'll hear people say I feel more like myself when I'm here like I feel like I can be myself I don't have to worry about what people are thinking about me like they're opening up to their own magic you know and I think that is something that people don't realize about Salem is that it is a very progressive city today and it does represent this kind of transmutation right of like all the I mean our whole history like our our history that we're known for is like a big trauma. It's like it's a big oh man we like murdered our neighbors like we we called people names they were not there we other like this is like oof and like as opposed to like so many other places that exist like in the world like there's been trauma everywhere right like Salem owns it Salem is like come on down like we will be the holder of all the witch trials that have ever existed like literally can you think I mean there's other there's so many other cities and towns that have had witch trials and that have witch trials we're having witch trials modern day today and you wouldn't use that term but um for Salem it's like you can come here and we're like okay come to our museum we got some mannequins they're acting out the witch trials you know you can yeah you can stand in front of like a 10 foot tall devil you can put your head in some stocks and act like you're being punished like you want to go to a haunted house like maybe we'll have some Puritans in there but I mean it's it's also just like a town too you know it really is and there's this other like on my cords I talk about this whole other history that like there's the 1800s you know there's the 1900s like Salem has all these really cool like progressive like histories like we had the first like um female anti-slavery society like started by like women of color like 1832 like the first one in the whole country like there's so many examples of of that in our history and um that's why it's like we've taken like the shadow and we've done a complete 180 and we're like owning it and then we're also like turning it into something else. There's rainbow flags everywhere. When I get it so cute I'll get little queer teenagers on my tours or just anyone that like lives somewhere where there's not rainbow flags all year round or at all. And like we have them year round. Like we have like sidewalks that are like painted for trans flag you know it's like and that that's just how it is you know um when we get preachers from out of town to like come scream at children and on Halloween or on the you know they are from out of town. Yeah you know that is not that is not the culture um so I do think it represents possibility in a way that people don't realize like the possibility of like and that's what I think witchcraft is about right it's like we're owning the shadow and we're doing something with it right you're yeah you're you're alchemizing.

Beyond Slogans: Nuance And Othering

SPEAKER_00 47:32

Yeah. And I will say like as someone I moved here 15 years ago from the Midwest. So I did not come here on uh field trips and stuff like that. And it was absolutely that for me. I mean I was literally like yeah I belong in a town where there is a witch on the fire trucks, where there is a witch on the newspaper. You know, it's called Witch City and like yeah it's and it has changed a lot since then. And so I think it has developed some of these things that people are a little bit disappointed by. And again I think that's just late stage capitalism overconsumption kind of taking things over but um it is a really magical place just in that we do say like yeah we're putting witches on the police cars and there's you know witches painted on the um parking spaces and um there is something about that where you know definitely a lot of other people across the country hear the word witch and recoil still, you know? So I definitely think it is a special place that holds that shadow that holds you know um the darker side to things. I think a lot of people are really comfortable with like the archetype of the goddess um and not the witch, you know, and I think that the difference there is almost sort of like a not to create a binary because I don't think there necessarily is one, uh except maybe in like the popular imagination where the goddess kind of represents this lighter energy and the witch represents this darker energy. And the darker energy is the truth too, right? I mean it's just the truth that we have been really taught not to look at or um just to malign in general. And um so I think it's really really uh just more special maybe than people even understand to have those emblems um in all of these different contexts.

SPEAKER_01 49:30

The high the high school is the witches like that's their mascot you know um that feels awesome you know and so even of course there are some downsides you know to sort of like over tourism and stuff like that um it it still just is such an important um place I think yeah absolutely I love that so much because there's so much balance in this where there's the alchemizing and there's the teaching the history and then there's giving people what they're looking for but I feel like especially the way that you two operate it's like yes come in witches let us educate you kindly and I was wondering just for anyone who's listening and they're like wait why isn't it cool for me to say I'm the granddaughter of the witches you could burn can you get into just like a rundown of like why is that not a cool thing to say you want to take that I mean it's interesting because I think what a lot of people don't realize about the Salem witch trials and a lot of other witch trials is that it isn't like they were just like targeting people that were like I'm a witch I'm a healer I'm a midwife like within Salem in particular like this was like mostly just like devout Puritans that happened to like have rumors about them or um were just kind of seen seen as off right they didn't fit um some of them had land some of you know um but they were just people that grew up as Puritans and weren't really doing anything outside of the norm, you know um and that is true and you know I think yeah we like to say there weren't any witches in the Salem witch trials you know um and so I think it's just it's really like an oversimplification of something that is actually really important to understand the nuances of and I think that that is a problematic um thing to put on a t-shirt.

SPEAKER_00 51:33

Yeah I've seen a lot of problematic t-shirts. There are a lot yeah I mean and it's not like I can't make a joke about you know whatever um but it's just it it's so important to understand the nuances and you know the other thing and this is like such a tangent that I'm gonna really try to not get too in the weeds with but I think that within like a particular demographic um and I I'll just say of white women, there is this real longing for there to be a lineage of witchcraft that you are connected to that your ancestors participated in that you know your ancestors like weren't part of the colonizer uh you know Christian colonizer um uh tradition um and that's cool I don't want to be associated with that tradition either a hundred percent you know but it just isn't that simple there there wasn't like you know Dianic cults I mean who knows I mean of course there could have been you know but that's not the people that were being persecuted you know and I don't know if how many people know this but like there were witch trials all across Europe that um many like some historians estimate millions of people um died in were murdered in and it went on for hundreds and hundreds of years Salem is such a blip on that map and so rather than lean into this sort of false narrative of well I belong to the you know I'm a descendant of these badass women women who you know did whatever they wanted and then you know got punished or didn't get punished for it or you know whatever um I just think that's not the most it's just not a truthful place to operate from, you know, and it's not that doesn't make you a witch that doesn't make you a powerful person. Um saying that, you know, what makes you a witch and what makes you a powerful person is what you're doing with your own energy in this lifetime, you know? Yeah. Just I think it's like it's almost just like passing your responsibility to actually be curious about what it means for you to be a part of that supposed lineage. I think it just really flattens the whole idea into something that you know isn't I don't think that funny and is kind of tacky.

SPEAKER_01 54:07

So well and it negates these systems that we keep seeing again and again where it's like anybody can be caught up in this and like whatever the thing is that we're identifying that's wrong changes, you know?

SPEAKER_00 54:20

And which is a really important lesson for right now. Yeah. I mean why even bother learning about the this kind of history if it's not to connect it to what's happening right now. And I know that you know Melissa on her tours has been connecting what happened here with you know immigrants and uh folks that weren't born here that live here now.

SPEAKER_04 54:44

Yeah you were just saying about the othering like really this comes down to the othering and not supporting the community. So the the connection is quite clear. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 54:53

Quite clear right so if you start making it about this these kind of like callous jokes and whatever and again it's like I get it make a funny t-shirt whatever but um I think to people who are really invested in making these connections and you know that don't see Salem as an amusement park right I mean it's like we do the whole point of Salem is to educate people on what happened here and the implications of it. You know, sidebar we have this like really booming and fun tourism industry but I don't think that's really the point.

Everyday Magic, Tools, And Permission

SPEAKER_04 55:32

Yeah especially as a Romani person I feel like a lot of these kinds of like oh we're the granddaughters of the witches you couldn't burn there's so much erasure of people of color who were highly stigmatized. And that's not who they're talking about like Tichiba, I'm so glad her story is coming out more as an indigenous woman as someone who was treated as a catalyst for this. And a lot of times I feel like when people are in this discourse of like oh yeah like I'm a descendant of the witches they couldn't burn I'm like let's talk about Tichaba babe let's talk about people of color who were like highly ostracized and then anyone who like you were saying was a Puritan but maybe a little off maybe owned land that someone was covetous of like the it's it's such a deeper story and I feel like it engages in a lot of really troubling erasure um just from my perspective as someone whose um culture is still ostracized and othered for doing any anything that looks magical. And so I always get like my heckles raised about it.

SPEAKER_01 56:34

And I I always talk about like um like what we identify as magic, which is just like what you're doing versus what I'm doing. You know what I mean? The term itself is like literally like other people's magic like foreign magic in ancient Greek Megea. So it is interesting because it's like when you start to look at like mainstream what what are considered mainstream religions whatever it's like I don't know it looks pretty magical to me you know like I always get so many like Catholics on my tours and I'm like oh well I don't know you guys are doing I always say Catholic people are witchier than me like it's all the it's all the like well I'm Catholic it is witchy as hell there is so much going on there. But it's it's interesting because it's like in Salem like you know we I always talk about Essex Street. If you've been on Essex Street it's the pedestrian walkway there's like every type of magic right it's like oh we got crystals we got palm as we got um and I'm just like yeah where's the church though? Like where's you know like why is this all like a smorgashborg of a cult? Like why is this all grouped together and seen as like separate than what they're doing in that church over there. You know, I don't know they have a big building but um but it is it it's interesting because it is so separate in people's minds you know which witchcraft magic and then religion.

SPEAKER_00 57:57

And I think that's why that's one of our sort of like North stars at Housewitch is kind of trying to like bridge that gap and say like maybe it is something you do in your house. Like you think that little dish is pretty cute don't you well it's made out of selenite it will clear you know we keep our I always tell people we all have our kind of go-to examples like in the in the store that that kind of wake people up to an idea of magic they never thought of before and one of ours is we carry little selenite bowls and I always say like yeah my wife and I put our wedding rings in this you know at night um just to clear any energy and people are like oh yeah I mean I could put a cute little selenite dish on my dresser you know um we make the moldavite gem essence and when we're explaining how to work with our gem essences sometimes people like completely glaze over until I say the words moldavite margarita and then they're like oh okay I definitely I understand this now I want this I want the carnelian for my coffee I want the pyrite for my water bottle you know whatever it is and um so I think exactly what Melissa is saying is people come and feel like a stranger in a strange land a little bit. And I think it's really what I find really fun and really satisfying about running my business is thinking about how to connect people um to this idea of magic in their own lives that they may want to keep like very not spiritual or not openly spiritual or whatever. And I think that's the that's the project for me and that's what keeps me really so curious and so um creative and uh invested is this idea of kind of bridging bridging those.

SPEAKER_01 59:45

Yeah yeah it's powerful it's powerful when you see people shift but they're like oh I can do that because people really do and I'm not I mean we're all disempowered in our own ways you know what I mean we've all been disempowered and um you know just watching people like be like oh I can do whatever I want with this crystal like there's not a right way to do it.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:08

People with like I teach tarot too where it's like well how do I how do I shuffle and like however you want to shuffle you know like you're creating this experience like this is your tool like this yeah and it is interesting because actually a lot of people really want to be told exactly what to do um you know and they actually sometimes are like a little rebuffed by the answer like well what do you want to do with it but hopefully even if they're feeling a little some type of way in the moment my hope is always just that like maybe you know two hours from now there's gonna be something that they're gonna be like oh like okay I kind of understand that maybe I okay actually I think I could go get that one crystal for manifestation and put it like on my desk because that would be the energy I would want to bring there you know I mean people will say you know like oh well what should I do with it should I put it on my nightstand? Should I put it on my desk? Do I put it in my pocket? And we'll just go, yep. All of the above all of the above anything. What do you think? You know and so like I said a lot of people um maybe feel shut down by that because they just can't access um that piece of their imagination but um I also think there's like an equal number of people who are liberated by it and um really start engaging more with you know our sort of brand of this in the store, which is mostly just like your magic you know like your magic here's some pretty rocks. Yeah. You know, or like your magic here's a scented candle that might help you feel even more magic.

Tarot x Music Game

SPEAKER_04 1:01:50

Oh you are giving us the perfect opener for our next segment which is our little game that we like to play where we talk about a tarot card and then a song that reminds us of the tarot card. And it just goes back to what you're saying of this idea that it doesn't have to be these strict, rigid it's only one meaning of the card. You know you kind of got to get into the flow of how it feels to you and like what it evokes in you.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:15

Um so I love that idea like A, I'm like first of all I'm a little freaked out because I feel like I might choke and like not be able to think of anything. No it's like such a cool idea and like so fun. So okay. I'm I'm gonna kick it off today and it are for each doing one or is it one for uh both of us?

SPEAKER_04 1:02:34

I I would love if everybody does their own but yeah whatever you're ready for um it's Aquarius season I'm going really weird with mine and my card today is the wheel of fortune and it's the facts of life theme song. Oh can you say any more or yeah I mean like I just you know I try to keep it really uh funky with my picks always usually it's like an early 2000s dance jam or you know some sort of like very pop song like Cardi B but I was thinking about that song the other day and I was like it's pretty straightforward sometimes you're up sometimes it's down that's just the facts of life you take the good and the bad and you go with it.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:19

Well I think we definitely thought we were gonna be prompt at like picking a card and having to come up with something oh no no whatever card whatever combo you want to do. Do you have a card song combo? The first one that came to mind for me and it sucks because I think like he's a little bit problematic but were you thinking of the same one I don't probably for me which is like one of my one of my cards historically is the Emperor and so I was thinking of um the takeover by Jay-Z. Oh wow that is a good breaks over can you tell us a little more about why that feels so resonant for you I think because something that I I went through something a few years ago that was sort of traumatic and and really disempowering. And something that I ended up turning to to sort of like build myself back up was rap, which I have always liked rap and hip hop but it's not like what I normally listen to a lot of but I really was identifying with like Jay-Z, Dr. Dre, Dead Brez, like for this whole year because I just felt like really small and I feel like so much of rap is about like pumping yourself up and like like nobody can like hype themselves like rappers.

SPEAKER_04 1:04:44

You know and you know they're all they're all Geminis or like very prominent Gemini placements because they're lyricists, right? It's like it's just a thing. It's known.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:54

No totally totally so I just like when I think of the Emperor like the Emperor also came into my life I think when I needed to feel more expansive um right after I opened the store actually and I sort of felt like okay I have this thing but I I don't know how to really um totally own it. And the emperor kept coming up and I'm a little bit like averse to like the idea of like male energy just overall but we all have to incorporate all genders into our experience. And in that moment what I really needed was to be the emperor and to like build my femre and um so I sort of learned to appreciate that card on a different level. And so then yeah just this morning when I was thinking about like songs that I would connect to a tarot card I was like definitely the emperor and the takeover. So that I guess that can be my answer. Although I think he just showed up in these files which is gone so I don't know if you think he should do another one I can definitely while Melissa is thinking about it I can try something I think I might have some problematic

SPEAKER_04 1:06:01

It's hard not to be problematic. And I think that you can appreciate someone's art and then also be like, and they're hella problem, and here's why. And it keeps the discussion going and it keeps us honest. I love it. So yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:17

Okay, so okay, it's it's a Morrissey song. He was very problematic. I wouldn't say very okay. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:24

He's problematic. He's like in boomer. He's like a problematic boomer. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:29

Um, and it's like you really dislike I you really dislike the song, and it's about kind of being, yeah, please, please.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:36

Please let me get what I want.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:38

Please, please, please let me get what I want. Like it's just this kind of very disempowered song. And I used to really like it until I realized like you're like, wow, that's like not a good attitude to have, but it is an attitude where I'm just like, life, please, just please give me something. But then you're kind of just like not really doing anything to take it. And so for me, oh, I was gonna say four of cups. Oh. Oh, yeah. Oh, that's a good one. Yeah. Like giving you everything, and you're just like, just please give it to me, but you're not really taking it. You know what I mean? Like you're just like, I'm just kind of, I don't really have any say in this. I don't really, I'm just kind of in my closed off position. This is an energy I've been in quite a bit in this lifetime. So, and like I said, I used to love this song and I really like, I really like gravitated towards it. And now I'm like, oh, that's yeah, I don't wanna, it's not a great way to be.

SPEAKER_00 1:07:33

But I will say I also the only other thing that came to mind is when Lemonade came out, we made a tarot card of Beyoncé in her yellow dress that she has when she was like with the baseball bat as the nine of pentacles, just like unbothered. Oh love. So that was the other thing that I thought of was just like, but it's sort of like that whole album lemonade, and like, yeah, I love the nine of pentacles. We say that's our cat, Salem's card. Oh yeah, it's my favorite card. Is it? Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:08:07

So what's yours, Jasmina? So I um was I play with myself where I'll pick a card at random and be like, okay, this is the one I'll talk about. So I drew the strength card, and you know the band The Hallucination, I think they used to be called A Tribe Called Red. I love electric powwow drum. It's such a powerful song, and it has this beautiful blend of strength and power and ferocity, but also like tenderness, and it feels also so reverent. And it just, I love how the strength card is like strength through tenderness, and it just whenever I hear that song, it does that for me, and I get kind of like emotional, but I feel like powerful. It's just so good. Highly recommend if anyone hasn't heard it before.

SPEAKER_00 1:08:57

You guys should make a playlist of all of this. So I and I want to talk about this a little bit, but um, I'm leading a retreat at Krapallu in April, and I'm gonna seal a version of this, I think, and I'm gonna make us a playlist like for the weekend. Yeah, people can be like listening to everybody's tarot song. So that's a big one.

SPEAKER_04 1:09:19

I love it. And I think that, you know, for me, someone that just started reading in the last few years, like going on these tomes online, and it's like, this is what this card is about. It's like I need other visual or educational aids. I need some sound aids. So like the songs really do help. And I think that it gives somebody a little bit of levity to um to learn the cards better. So steal this game, please. Steal this and play with your friends.

SPEAKER_00 1:09:44

There's also there's like a few tarot books out there, and I know for sure the one called Creative Tarot, where it does give you like media suggestions going along with the cards, like movies to watch, songs to listen to, books to read. Um, I think there's like a few that do that. The one that's coming to me off the top of my head is just it's called Creative Tarot. And it's by there it is. One second. It's by uh Jessa Crispin. Jessa Crispin, the Creative Tarot.

SPEAKER_04 1:10:16

I think I have that book. I yeah, I really liked it. I remember it correctly.

SPEAKER_00 1:10:21

Yeah. I find that when I'm having trouble like understanding, you know, what a card is coming up for me in a reading as that. Um I turn I definitely turn to those things for you know um a wider context, I would say. Yeah. Yeah.

Embodied Self-Care And Pleasure

SPEAKER_04 1:10:36

I love using tarot creatively too, a lot of times when I work with um writing or art clients, I use tarot as prompts for what we do and it's super fun. And they don't have to take it literally if they get the three of pentacles, but it might be an interesting jumping off point if you know can come at you from so many different angles. Totally. So, what kinds of tools and practices do you tend to lean on in your personal healing and self-care? Like you shared so many great examples and suggestions for people, but what are the ones that are like your personal staples?

SPEAKER_01 1:11:15

Do you want to go first? I mean, I do a lot of self-care and it's interesting because I kind of grew up as someone that's not really like very athletic or kind of drawn to movement, but movement has been my healer. Um, and I started in 2020 just kind of like lifting dumbbells, and now every day like I have to move. And I think it really is an energetic thing where it's like I gotta get my energy moving. And I think some people really gravitate towards a more, you know, it's like your natural state to have a more depressed energy or lower and to just kind of get it, getting it flowing, getting it moving has been a really big shift for me. Like I do it like pretty much every day, starting in the morning, and then I love to sweat, I love to like, love to like, ooh, lift some things. Like it I feel very physically powerful. And I do find that a lot of people that gravitate towards spirituality, um, they really love kind of being out of their body. They're like, ooh, I just want to go into a trance state, I want to kind of connect with the astral plane. And you're like, yes, that is really fun. And it's also really fun to like be in your body and um move around and like eat and have sex and roll around in the grass. And so yeah, I love the I love I'm loving the physical plane more, more and more.

SPEAKER_00 1:12:41

And because Melissa and I are an opposites attract couple, um, I have sort of the exact opposite answer, which is um I definitely just dropped into my body a couple of years ago. And um, you know, as a just a CPTS complex trauma survivor, um, yeah, it wasn't a place I wanted to be at all. And so my practices now are really like I mentioned, around this sort of like rewiring of that. I will say, like Melissa got me like a crystal heating pad for my birthday last year. What is it? It's like biometric or something. And I love laying on that thing. It is like it definitely attunes something in addition to just being a heating pad, which is great. But um, yeah, so for me, I also have been like getting, and this is you know a privilege, obviously, but um I've been getting massages um for just you know chronic pain. Um, so I get those consistently um once a month. And that has really helped me uh be able to be in my body more. Um, so I think just like, yeah, prioritizing that and just, I don't know, like everything outside of our home and our shop feels so um abrasive and intense that I think just anything that helps me feel calm and really kind of brought back down to earth. I mean, as an air sign, as a uh sort of, you know, I my job title at House Witch Now, aside from head witch in charge, is uh my role is as creative director, which you are up in the ethers if you are um trying to be creative. You are making mental connections and psychic connections. And so I do feel like I spend a lot of time up. And when I come home, my self-care is all based around sort of coming down in a way that feels good. So we are the most opposite like people, sun and moon, like just truly definitely need different things, but but the common thing I think for us is sensuality and really like leaning into pleasure and not just sexual, you know, but really like having good meals, cooking together. We love to like I don't feel like we're ever as magical as just when we're cooking together and stuff like that. So I think too, like, um, I see a lot of people who are just like disempowered and maybe feel a lot of shame who don't think to tap into those things and just sensuality and pleasure as part of magic and witchcraft. And I want to say, please try. It's really nice and magical.

SPEAKER_04 1:15:36

I love that, you know. Maybe last year Jez had pulled for me about something and the Empress was coming up for me. And I am Chiron and Taurus, so sometimes I can get weird about the the Torian Chiron and Taurus too, actually. Yeah, it's one of the generals. It's a generational thing, but I find like sometimes, you know, the call-out was very much like buy flowers, you know, enjoy the enjoy the meal, you know, like touch the grass and touch all of the beautiful, like enjoy sleep, enjoy being in your bed. And it is so empowering. And I love Neptune moving into Aries, feels like we all want to be in our bodies more. We're getting out of that Neptune and Pisces, and like we're in the intuition world. It's like, okay, we're anchoring now, and spirituality is very much going to have um body attachment. So that all feels so good. Um, what do you each have coming up on the horizon that we should look out for?

Retreats, Tours, And Aura Photos

SPEAKER_00 1:16:29

Yeah, like I mentioned, I'm really excited that I will be leading a um three-day retreat at Kropalu, the um yoga center in Western Mass. Um, my assistant Paige is coming with me. Um, it's called Self-Care Rituals for Burnt Out Witches. And um, we're definitely kind of thinking of it as just a fun witchy sleepover party. Um, and I think it'll be a lot of fun. And you can go to the Krapalu website, which is K-R-I-P-A-L-U. Yeah. Um, I'm still like of the generation that like I spell my last name out like twice on like voicemails and like you say what your phone number is, even though it's on the screen.

SPEAKER_04 1:17:15

Yeah, me too.

SPEAKER_00 1:17:18

So, anyways, so I'm just like, okay. But um, but yeah, so I'm I'm really, really excited about that. That is kind of the big thing, you know. My book came out last year, which was like a real yang year, and um this year I'm trying to chill a little bit, but that is gonna be something that's really fun. So look it up, come hang out with us. Um, we're gonna play this tarot game and make a playlist.

SPEAKER_01 1:17:39

And uh so yeah, what about you? Well, so every year I always kind of change up my tours a little bit because my moon is in Aries, so I need newness even when I'm doing things consistently. So um this year I'm doing Witches in the Spirit World. Um, and I'm really excited for that. And continuing to do tarot salon, that's every first Thursday of the month. We do it virtually where it's tonight, in fact. Tonight, actually. Well, not your tonight. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:18:10

Um in the astral, it's tonight.

SPEAKER_01 1:18:15

This year, you know, we always have a theme that we create tarot spreads for where people read with. And this year we're going through the zodiac. And so every month we're kind of like doing tarot spreads based on, you know, the zodiac theme, which is fun.

SPEAKER_04 1:18:29

Yeah, that sounds awesome. Oh my gosh. What is the best place for people to go to support your work? Where can they find you? Where do you want people to find you?

SPEAKER_00 1:18:39

Yeah, I think um housewitchstore.com is our website. And um on Instagram, we're just at Housewitch. We love to clown around for the algo. So please go check out um our social media. We um try to have a lot of fun with it and be informative. Um, on our website, we have a community page that has years and years and years of posts of free tarot spreads, free spells, um, all that kind of stuff. So um yeah, housewitchstore.com.

SPEAKER_01 1:19:14

And you can we do aura photos too, which have been really fun. And we didn't mention that. It's called personal rainbow, but you can find that on the Housewitch website and then my tour website. You can also find my tours on Housewitch, but it's now age travel. Yeah, actually, do you want to just take a minute and share like what is an aura photo, just in case anyone is like yeah, yeah, aura photos are so fun, and it is one of these things where it's like you can talk about like this crystal's for energy, this is for energy, but um actually seeing energy in a physical form um and seeing yourself as energy in a physical form is like very special. Um, and so we have this special camera, it's an Oracam 6000, which they started designing in the late 70s, um, producing in the 80s, and um basically it uses hand plates with sensors on them to pick up energy from the energy centers in your hands because they're all over the body, and um, you get a basically a Polaroid picture that has, I would say, one layer of the aura. I think it's the second layer of the aura. That is my theory, which is kind of emotions, how we think about ourselves, how we feel about ourselves. Um, and you get a little interpretation. So it's really it's cool. And I think we get a lot of people that like to come again and again and kind of check in on themselves. We do aura parties, um, lots of bachelorettes.

SPEAKER_00 1:20:38

We do, you know, since it is Valentine's, oh yeah, we do have a relationship package where you and a friend or a sibling, just anyone else. Um, you guys get each one individual photo each, and then you get um a photo together. And so then in that reading, you get to know your own energy um and your energy with this other person. And so those are really, really special two.

SPEAKER_01 1:21:06

Yeah, you can make out if you want in the bunch of that'd be weird with your sibling, probably, but you know, no judge. We're not very judgmental. We might judge on. No, so funny.

SPEAKER_04 1:21:18

I was supposed to say sibling, maybe not. I was supposed to say Jasmina and I have to get in the booth, but it won't be a a making out photo. It will just be the two of us with like a thought bubble, and we'll be like, what are we supposed to do next?

SPEAKER_01 1:21:32

No, please, please. Love, love, love. It is cool, and it's a cool way to start talking about energy with people, you know, in a very like visceral way. I love that. What's the best way to book with you for that? Um, go to the House Witch website, it's under personal rainbow aura photos in the drop-down menu, and you'll see different options and book away. There's a calendar. If you want to, you can reach out for a party. We have a booking page, and um, like I said, those are I love groups of people. Me too. So yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:22:05

I had a really funny moment. Um, I was reading poetry at uh an event, and this young young guy came up to me, probably like 21, and he was like, Stop this one.

SPEAKER_03 1:22:16

So cute.

Wrap-Up And Calls To Action

SPEAKER_04 1:22:17

And you know, I introduced myself, like, I'm a local fortune teller and I'm about to read some poems. Hey, and so you know, got into it. And then he came up to me afterwards and he was like, Do you mind if I ask you a question? I was like, absolutely. And he's like, When you were talking, I saw all these like colors coming out of you, like yellow and pink and white, and it just got stronger the more impassioned you got. And I was like, Oh, cool. And he's like, What's happening to me? Oh, I love this. He was like, it's happened before, but this is the first time I got to ask someone about it. And I was like, oh honey, you're just talented. I love that.

SPEAKER_00 1:23:02

Yeah, I mean, send him my way. Maybe we'll, you know, take him on as an aura reader at some point.

SPEAKER_04 1:23:08

I love thank you so much for spending time with us today. It was incredible, and there were so many beautiful takeaways from this episode. So thank you, thank you, thank you for being here.

SPEAKER_00 1:23:20

Oh, we're thrilled. Thank you for having us. And yeah, we love to be able to work together. So thank you for creating that opportunity for us. Yeah.

unknown 1:23:30

Cool.

SPEAKER_00 1:23:30

We love it. We love love.

SPEAKER_04 1:23:33

Thank you so much for joining us in the immaterial world. While you're here, we hope you subscribe, rate, and review us on your favorite streaming services. The real magic is in connection and community. Share your favorite episode with friends and come follow us for more on Instagram at Immaterial World Pod and Patreon at patreon.com backslash immaterial world.

SPEAKER_02 1:24:41

Come beat me in the dead material work. Divide in the egg material. Come beat me in the egg material wood. Your mind, your body, and so I did in the egg material wood. The head material world. The egg material world.

SPEAKER_04 1:25:22

Immaterial World is hosted by Jessica Richards and Jasmina Fonkela. Music and editing by Dia Luna. Artwork by Lane Friend. Follow Immaterial World Pod on Instagram and Patreon at patreon.com backslash immaterial world. You can visit our website at www.immaterial-world.com or email us at ImmaterialworldPod at gmail.com. Thank you for being part of our immaterial world. Welcome to the Immaterial World.