We are super excited to speak to one of our favourite social media and #WitchesAtWork to follow, The Fabulous Oliva AKA Ostara. Soooo many questions and we highly recommend you spend a few moments deep diving into her fantastic tiktok viral (and national media coverage earning) introduction to whimsigothic videos and, saving the best for last…the beautiful products on the newly launched Ostara Shoppe site. Ahhh so fabulous! Anyway, let’s jump in….
First, tell us about yourself!
My name’s Olivia, and I own Ostara, which stocks magickal wares for your hearth and home. I’m a Taurus Sun, Capricorn Moon and Virgo Rising, so an earthy homeware shop is perfect for me! I believe your home should be a solace, a special space in place and time where once you step over the threshold, you can be at peace. Creating a safe, comforting environment is an art, and I want to help my customers achieve this through carefully selected heirloom pieces.
And now what you do and your career journey up until now
I’m from the North, and moved all around the country from the age of 21 working in Film and TV. I then settled in London, where I continued to art direct and design sets for high end shows, films, and commercials. During the pandemic, my husband and I decided to pursue a slower life by the sea, and moved to Kent to renovate an old Edwardian house. I then decided this was the perfect time and place to leave the film industry and follow my dreams to open Ostara! Seeing so much waste and consumption in the film industry left a bitter taste in my mouth. I wanted to slowly, carefully, handpick items for my shop, choosing heirlooms for peoples homes that have a deeper meaning and symbology to each piece.
What is witchcraft to you?
Witchcraft to me is simply stepping into your power as a human being. Trying to see and feel the beauty and miracle of nature, trying to live a deeply embodied life. Connecting with ancestors is very important to me, and understanding where you came from, and the environment around your ancestors – what shaped your blood line. Learning folklore, mythology and traditional stories can help you have a deeper understanding of human nature and I love learning from them.
I also deeply believe in being of service to whatever greater good you believe in. I’m a triple earth sign – so I passionately care about Mother Nature! My shop Ostara is part of that – I don’t want to contribute to the fast fashion, over consuming nature of interior decor trends. I want to save items from landfill, from going to scrap, and to breathe new life into them, so they can live a new life in someone’s home. Filling your life with knowledge and reverence doesn’t have to stay contained within your practice – it can be displayed in your home too.
How do you use witchcraft in your day to day life?
I suppose it has to do with my idea of being of service again. I am a total gardening geek, and I garden as an act of service to Danu, Gaia, Mother Nature. I plant food to honour my ancestors, and learn herb lore to keep the knowledge alive. I use tarot, the Wild Wood deck, and am constantly trying to learn as much as I can about astrology – there’s just so much to learn!
And professional life?
I only do ‘spells’ very very occasionally, and it’s usually a more direct, ritualistic way of connecting with my ancestors to receive wisdom and advice. These very occasional rituals are usually asking advice to do with my career, as this is the only area of major life choices where I struggle with decisions in my life! When it came to leaving the film industry (which was incredibly stressful and damaging to my health) I believe I was being shown signs to leave for a long time. When I directly asked, I got the answer I was waiting for – it just didn’t come in the way I was thinking! But I was still very grateful for the nudge in the right direction.
How have you used witchcraft to support in shaping your career?
When leaving Film, I had an idea of what I might like to move into, but just didn’t feel the confidence. Leaving a career of 10 years is hard! I knew what I loved doing, I knew I had a passion for interiors, but I didn’t know how to tie it all together. Using tarot was brilliant in shaping my decision to open a store.
Does your work know about your practice?
I think now they do! I want my store to be different in that it offers homeware or furniture that come with a deeper meaning behind each piece – whether that’s the traditional symbolism behind the wood that’s used to make the piece, or another bit of folklore attached to it. That’s why I spend so much of my time researching not only antiques and vintage homewares but mythology and folklore. I want my customers to know that they’re buying from not only a reputable source of ethically gathered antiques, but a genuine lover of magick and folklore.
How do colleagues/clients respond?
I’ve been overwhelmed with the response from my customers – I’ve had orders from all over the UK, Europe and America! I hope that people enjoy the unique blend of quality vintage and magickal flare to each piece that I source.
There are a few exciting bits and pieces brewing for the future – one of which is establishing a bricks and mortar shop for Ostara to dwell in. I can’t wait to be able to let people see, touch and hold their items before they buy. And who doesn’t love a good witchy shop?
Where can people find you?
The store is found at www.ostarashoppe.com
I’m on instagram as @ostara_shoppe
And on Tik Tok as @Ostara_Shoppe
Ah thank you so much Olivia!
Let’s us know any qustions that you may have for Olivia in the comment below or via our channels, as we do love chatting with you!
Until Next time!
Digital Coven 