To celebrate the launch of ‘The Modern Craft’ Edited by Claire Askew & Alice Tarbuck and our fabulous giveaway*
The Digital Coven ‘Witchy Type Book Club’ are super excited to announce that we will be interviewing the fabulous Editors Claire Askew & Alice Tarbuck. Of course, as a coven we want to offer you the chance to ask them your question too.
We will be sending over our questions on the 30th June 2022, so make sure to send us your questions before then.
About ‘The Modern Craft’:
Offering inspiring glimpses from the brink of the contemporary Craft, these essays show how anyone, no matter who they are, can find positivity and the force for change in the subversive unknown.
Dr Claire Askew is the author of three novels: All The Hidden Truths, What You Pay For and Cover Your Tracks. A fourth, A Matter of Time, is out this year. Also a poet, Claire’s second collection How to burn a woman features voices from the European Witchcraft Hysteria. Claire’s accolades include the Lucy Cavendish Fiction Prize, a Jessie Kesson Fellowship and the McIlvanney Debut Prize.
Dr Alice Tarbuck is a writer, author of A Spell In The Wild and academic specializing in witchcraft and environmental humanities. She has been featured in Nasty Women and The Dangerous Women Project, and she has spoken on witchcraft at Scottish PEN, Freedom TV and the Arthur Conan Doyle Centre.
With courage, conviction, and a fierce love and respect for the craft, this fiery collection is poised to spark vital conversations and radical change in the world of witchcraft and beyond.
This weeks #WitchesAtWork interview is the Olivia, the owner of Ostara.
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.
Items From the ostarashoppe.com
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!
Image From Instagram: @ostara_shoppe
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.
Image feed of Instagram: @ostara_shoppe
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?
We speak to the fabulous ‘Witchy Freelancer’ and Word Witch, Emma Cownley in todays Working Witches interview!
We love everyday witchcraft here at Digital Coven and we know you do too, so we partnered with some fabulous real life witchy types to dicuss how they bring witchcraft into their daily lives. Today’s interview is with the fabulous Emma Cownley, or as we like to refer to her, The Word Witch! She is not only kicking ass in life but also in the business word, we love a Witch who means business!
Let’s get started shall we?
First, tell us about yourself!
My name’s Emma, and I’m a freelance writer from London. When I’m not busy being a pen monkey, you’ll find me playing the drums, riding horses, turning dead animals into works of art, or sitting in seat J13 at The Prince Charles Cinema.
And now…what you do and your career journey up until now
I’m a freelance writer for B2C brands in the music, fashion, and lifestyle space. I mostly write for alternative brands or super luxe brands. If I’m lucky, I’ll get a client who’s a mix of the two!
I started in a customer service role for an online aquatic retailer, and I slowly edged my way into the copywriting side of the business. Once I got a taste for writing, I went for my first proper copywriting job at printed.com.
After about four years, I realised I’d gone as far as I could with that company, and I decided to go solo. I’m a bit of a wimp and don’t have a lot of confidence, so I thought freelance life would help me own my power a bit more. And boy, has it. Trial by fire!
I’ve been freelance for five years now, and it’s been a real journey. In the best way, of course. One look at my website will show you how much of a hoot I’m having.
What is witchcraft to you?
It’s a grounding force and a guide. I’m a real dreamer — a romantic prone to floating away into space like an untethered balloon! I’m also a worrier. My practice gives me a sense of control and helps keep me rooted in the here and now. By reconnecting with nature, the cycle of the moon, and the turn of the seasons, I find firm and tangible grounding. It’s real, and it’s right there to enjoy.
Witchcraft is also a great lens for self-growth and self-examination. By moving with the seasons, journaling with tarot cards, and meditating with spirit guides, I can look at myself truthfully and gently course-correct towards being happier, kinder, and more content.
How do you use witchcraft in your day to day life?
I start the day by setting my intentions with a daily devotion (always gotta be walking in love and light!). I usually write in my dream journal each morning and I like to draw an oracle card for the day before I start work (I use The Literary Witches Oracle Deck). I also draw a tarot card at the full moon each month.
I’ll finish my day with a gratitude devotion where I think about how fucking lucky I am. I think about all the small delights I enjoyed during the day, the things that tested me and what I learned, and I take a minute to think about all my loved ones. It helps me decompress and unpack everything that happened, rather than letting each day slip past without a second thought.
My practice is mostly rooted in the practical, day-to-day side of things. I’d probably call myself a hearth witch — I’m very invested in cultivating good energy in my home and using it to help others.
Emma Cownley – Professional Word Witch
And professional life?
When I’m writing, I work with a muse spirit, and I sometimes light a candle for her. Whenever I sit down to work, I take a quick minute to think about how it feels when I’m struck by the excitement of a cool idea — your heart flips, and you get a sudden flush of energy. That’s the spirit of my muse! By making that small connection with the spirit of inspiration, I’ve ‘invoked’ her, and I’m ready to work.
I also use sigils for everything. As a writer, they’re my favourite magickal tool. I have sigils for my Filofax, for client jobs, and one that I use to ‘activate’ my home office. I’ve carved the office sigil into the side of an orange pillar candle, and I light it each morning to open up my office energies. I also smudge my office with sage once a week to clear out the nasties — I see my desk as a writing altar, so I like to keep it sacred.
How have you used witchcraft to support in shaping your career?
Tarot cards have played a huge part in shaping my career. I do a full yearly spread every Samhain and pay special attention to my business during that.
I also use Esbats and Sabbats to perform any magickal nudges needed to get me back on track. As a freelancer, a huge part of my business success comes directly from my own mindset and confidence levels. If I’m stuck in a pit of self-doubt or trapped in a scarcity mindset, I can really hurt my own progress. Magick helps me refocus and tap back into my personal power.
The Witchy Freelancer
Does your work know about your practice?
Absolutely. It’s become part of my brand at this point! Last year I came out of the broom closet by launching an mini eBook called The Witchy Freelancerand, to my delight, the freelance community rallied to support me. I was surprised by some of the people who bought it, too — people I’d never have suspected would be into all this ‘woo-woo’ stuff.
A few freelance colleagues recently called me out on Twitter asking for a witchy newsletter. After giving it some thought, I realised there actually was a lot of interest and a gap in the market for something like that. So I launched a monthly newsletter called The Copy Coven. It’s packed with writing exercises, creativity boosting ideas, and a section on the moon cycle of the month and how to work with it. I’d never have thought of the idea without my colleagues!
I’d love to make my practice a bigger part of my work life by joining forces with Wiccan and new age brands. It’s actually one of my goals for the year! Someone like Witchy would be great. I adore their products and their brand tone of voice.
How do colleagues/clients respond?
Really bloody well, actually! I try not to be preachy with my beliefs because I understand they’re not everyone’s cup of tea. I’d never want to make anyone feel uncomfortable. But, to be fair, I don’t think anyone was surprised when I ‘came out’! I even had two of my clients download my eBook — that’s how you know you’re working with the right people!
Digital Coven 