20 Witches, Wise Folks, and Healers to Support in 2018
As we round out the year, I’ve come to learn just how many wonderful, feminist, anti-racist and anti-oppressive folks are out there on the internet. It’s been a wild year, so I’m hoping to leave everyone with some resources and role models to guide us into 2018. Support them however you can, whether financially (most of these folks have Patreon, Paypal, or Venmo on their websites, and some are vendors of witchy wares) or through sharing and following their work!
1. Sara Ahmed
The original feminist killjoy, Sara Ahmed is an academic stirring up tons of shit wherever she goes, reminding us that feminism isn’t a brand, but instead, a way of living that resists normativity in sometimes-painful ways. Check out Sara’s blog as a starting point.
2. Amber Phillips and Jazmine Walker
As co-hosts of The Black Joy Mixtape podcast, Amber and Jazmine have given me LIFE time and time again while I struggle through my gym routine. They offer the black feminist takes on pop culture and politics that we are all gonna need going into the next year.
3. Melody Hoffmann and Raechel Jolie
The co-hosts of Feminist Killjoys, PhD, an incredible podcast about witchery and feminist praxis, deserve all the shoutouts. Give them a listen whenever you’re looking for some hope, hot takes, or healing.
4. Cristy C. Road
As the creator of Next World Tarot, Cristy C. Road is showing off some amazing art skills in this gorgeous and moving deck for the revolution. This tarot deck includes a wide variety of bodies and humanities in its imagery, offering up beautiful visions for the world we aspire to.
5. Haylin Belay
Haylin is a witch of color and sex educator based in New York City who happens to be a friend of a friend (though we haven’t actually met!). She was recently invited to do a tarot reading for Another Round cohosts Heben and Tracy, and the reading was MOVING to listen to! Check out her site here!
6. The Firebrand Witch
The Firebrand Witch offers online and in-person services, and their writing on ability and mad identity is really essential! Check them out online here.
7. The Hoodwitch
The Hoodwitch has got what you need, whether its instructive articles, horoscopes, crystal advice, or just some gorgeous aesthetics. Check out the site for all that and more!
8. Big Liz Conjure
An amazing resource for witches, healers, rootworkers, and mystics alike, Big Liz has an amazing background and a really comprehensive store for stocking up on all of your magic needs!
9. Naimonu James
Naimonu James is my go-to astrologer. Their work is intricate and thoughtful, and their readings always leave me feeling supported and sure about where my priorities should lie. Check them out!
10. Chani Nicholas
If you’re an astrological queer who somehow hasn’t been exposed to Chani’s artful horoscopes, get on that! Right now!
11. Cultivate: QTPOC Healing Practice
If you’re Boston-based or Boston-adjacent and QTBIPOC (queer/trans and black/indigenous/person of color)-identified, PLEASE do yourself a favor and check out this practice, run by amazing healers Kamaria and Janhavi. I attended a healing space run by them both, and the energy and metta-meditation from that afternoon carried me through several tough weeks.
12. The Wild Francesca
Did you know that my co-editor Nicole makes amazing altar cloths and block prints?? I am consistently in awe of the images she is able to produce, and having been gifted one of these cloths myself, I can attest to their magic. They are wonderful additions to anyone’s tarot altar. Check out the Etsy page here.
13. Bitchslap
My other co-editor, Gwynne Michele, is an INCREDIBLE writer with some psychic bitchslaps to give. The website and book’s takes on spiritualism and productive discomfort are really worth your time. Check it out here!
14. Rest for Resistance
Following the Facebook page QTPOC Mental Health, Rest for Resistance emerged as a space for healing and resistance. With a focus on mental health and identity intersections, this publication has taught me so much. Read all about it here.
15. Alchemic Magic
Run by my friend Ellie, this candle and bath/body product store is an amazing aromatherapy and Reiki-charged product resource. Ellie is such a talented maker and healer; you definitely need to check out what’s available!
16. Amandla Stenberg
Amandla is QTPOC royalty, y’all. I get so many mystical vibes from them! Their Instagram and public presence offer so much insight for someone so young! Also, this guided meditation they did for Teen Vogue gives me life.
17. Jenna Wortham
Jenna Wortham is my #mixedgirlgoals, honestly. She offers up so much wisdom in her writing, her podcast, and her newsletter. She’s witchy and has an amazing aesthetic that I aspire to every day.
18. adrienne maree brown
Author of Emergent Strategy and amazing movement thinker adrienne maree brown has so much wisdom to offer us as we keep thinking through how to get free in 2018. Start by reading her book and then move on to her website, where futurism and poetry blossom.
19. Che Gossett
A self-described theory queen (lol same), Che is a trans femme academic doing important scholarship in the realms of race, gender, necropolitics, and more. Follow them on Twitter (@queercruising) or at their website for lots of things to think about!
20. Reina Gossett
Che’s sister Reina is also QTPOC royalty in my book. She’s a talented activist and writer, and she is also producing multiple works that honor and highlight the lives of important trans women of color. Most notably, she worked to highlight the life of Marsha P. Johnson in Happy Birthday, Marsha. We are blessed to have her doing this work!
And finally, some tunes:
As I made this list, I realized that there are tons and tons of amazing musical artists doing wonderfully wild, weird, and witchy things. A shoutout to a few here:
- Rihanna
- Lizzo
- Willow Smith
- Noname
- Jay Som
- Moses Sumney
- Rihanna
- Ke$ha
- SZA
- did I mention Rihanna?
With that and the passing of winter solstice last week, I wish you all a happy new year!
Brianna is a young twentysomething with a passion for social work, social justice, intersectionality, and witchcraft. She’s honing her tarot skills, growing her herbal knowledge, and self-educating about crystals, focusing her craft on the practice of writing as self-healing. She is particularly interested in self-care and collective care through witchcraft. Her work has been published at Black Girl Dangerous, The Tempest, and The Establishment. For more, check out her website. To support her work, please visit her Patreon or buy her a coffee.
