Brooklyn writer and witch Andi Talarico taught a series on ritual, astrology, and tarot at Word Bookstores in Greenpoint over the summer—with the last class ending this past weekend. Being the ever-curious witch that I am, I jumped on the opportunity to not only support my favorite local bookstore but one of my favorite local witches.
If you’ve been hearing and seeing “witch” a lot lately, it’s for good reason. The archetype of the witch (as well as the literal practice of witchcraft) has long been beloved by folks who seek autonomy and inner magic—and why not? When the world seems as if it’s constantly in chaos, turning to an intentional practice is helpful.
Right now all things witchy are seeing an uptick in popularity. While there are some obviously silly and even demeaning elements to this trend (Sephora selling—and then cancelling—their witch kits, which were thoughtless cash-grabs at best), the fact that there are so many books and discussions around the Witch points to one truth: We are hungry to connect with nature and intuition and energy.
At Andi’s classes, we learned about the potency of ritual, setting up an altar in a small NYC space, and using tarot or astrology as divination or a prompt for thought and introspection. She also discussed her history with Stregheria and kitchen witchery, as well as a generous helping of historical and cultural anecdotes and histories. Both educational and meaningful, these classes were full of helpful, ethical, inclusive, and fun ideas for emerging or practiced witches.
The most important thing? Intention. Use your intentionality to create the life you want. Burn a candle in the name of a hope or goal, pull a Tarot card to help guide you through an intentional process, or create a ritual to help you find confidence and self-esteem.
Classes used Practical Magic by Nikki Van De Car. I also recommend, if you want to take your witchy studies even further: Witches, Sluts, Feminists: Conjuring the Sex Positive by Kristen Sollee, Inner Witch by Gaby Herstik, Basic Witches: How to Summon Success, Banish Drama, and Raise Hell with Your Coven by Jaya Saxena and Jess Zimmerman, and my newest book, Light Magic for Dark Times: 100 Spells, Rituals, and Practices for Coping in a Crisis.
Happy witching!