Episode 22
Witchcraft + Business
Phoebe sits down with Casey to discuss her journey as a witch and how she’s integrated her craft into her business practice. Listeners tune into her experience taking Modern Witches Confluence virtual (for now), how she’s held her community accountable and taken anti-racist action during a time of necessary reckoning, and why it’s important—and possible—to embrace and welcome spiritual practice within our individual approaches to business.
Episode 22
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Casey Zabala
I’m still exploring, which is the thing I love about witchcraft in general. It’s a process, and building your own practice is central to that process. [08:35]
[04:40] HOW DID YOU GET STARTED WITH TAROT?
Casey considers tarot her “gateway practice” to other forms of magical work she’s now incorporated into her life. Tarot gave her an outlet for navigating overwhelming feelings during her adolescence; as an introvert, she found that tarot gave her a sacred and potent space to recharge.
[06:11] WHEN DID YOU START IDENTIFYING AS A WITCH?
Like many who practice magic, Casey identified as a witch early on in childhood. She felt a powerful kinship to the archetypal witch that is “strange, powerful, and intuitive.” Contrary to mainstream, corporate belief, she feels that witchcraft relates to business in a powerful way, as it invites practitioners to incorporate all aspects of themselves rather than shun or negate parts of the whole.
[14:08] LET’S DIVE INTO APPROPRIATION.
The term “witch” originated as a label given to people practicing pagan spirituality by the Church in historic Europe. However, Casey points out that this idea of pagan spiritual practice rooted in folk magic or ancestral tradition can be found everywhere, in all cultures. While witchcraft opens up pathways to reconnecting and reuniting with our ancestral lineage, appropriation is slippery and often enticing. Casey emphasizes the importance of recognizing when appropriation happens and acknowledging the potential harm done. It’s important to connect with your own ancestral lineage.
[17:21] TELL US ABOUT THE WITCHES CONFLUENCE.
The Modern Witches Confluence was born out of the desire to create vibrant communal spaces for witches in the Bay Area. Casey felt it was important to bring people together where they could share wisdom in a setting in which it would be honored and respected. The initial event was held in 2018 in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park and featured a craft fair element to better involve witchy makers and business owners.
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Casey Zabala
Reclaiming the witch is reclaiming a worldview. This is a spirituality that lets us be in charge and create our own narrative. [09:49]
[20:32] HOW HAS THE CONFLUENCE GROWN?
Early in 2020, Casey realized it would be necessary to to shift gears and put the event virtually. While this came with its challenges, her team found that accessibility via online spaces allowed the Confluence community to grow.
[22:37] TELL US ABOUT THE DIVERSITY + INCLUSION PANEL. WHY IS IT INTEGRAL TO THE WITCHES CONFLUENCE ETHOS?
The Diversity + Inclusion Panel is a majority POC committee of witches that assists the Confluence in taking steps toward inclusivity, accessibility, and anti-racist action. The Confluence is an anti-appropriative space, and its staff is committed to working with sponsors who are in alignment with anti-racist values.
[28:19] WHAT IS HAPPENING FOR THE WITCHES CONFLUENCE THESE DAYS?
The Confluence is making strides in bringing witches into their community in a grander, deeper way via a newly launched membership series.
[32:00] HOW DO YOU DO ALL OF THIS? WHAT DOES YOUR DAY-TO-DAY LOOK LIKE?
Casey loves routine and alternates days of practicing magic with dedicated focus on the Confluence. She has also found that being in tune with inner and outer cycles allows her to be kinder to herself in moments of stress.
[34:15] HOW DO YOU STAY GROUNDED + CONNECTED?
Casey cites her morning grounding practice, movement meditation, and journaling as ways to stay rooted and in alignment. She also offers tips on integrating magical practice with business.
[39:10] WHAT ARE YOUR TIPS FOR WITCHES LOOKING TO MOVE INTO BUSINESS?
Wrapping things up, Casey shares ways in which new and experienced witches alike can bring their spirituality into their business model.
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Casey Zabala
Follow Casey:
@wandererstarot
@witchesconfluence
https://modernwitches.org/
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