Interview and Giveaway with Sarah from The Spell

The moon is out, my cauldron tealight burner is lit and I've crystals placed strategically around my bedroom. There's an energy I can feel and it's mainly thanks to Sarah at the Spell that I have the confidence to share this.  

The Spell is the go-to place for witchy vibes, spells, wands, crystals, and even more. 

When I asked Sarah if I could ask her some questions about The Spell I was so excited when she agreed. Check out the Q&A below along with a giveaway at the bottom. 

 1) Can you tell readers a bit about yourself? 

I’m an 80s kid who still says ‘cool’ too much. I used to make YouTube videos about books which is how I met most of my online friends, and gained a lot of the confidence that pushed me down the path to explore new things and make things my own way. There’s lots of things that make me, me I suppose; quiet, opinionated, anxious, stubborn, creative, experimental, empath… with a big dollop of OCD. But most of all I just love to make things.

2) How and why did you start the spell? 

It was pretty much an accident. I was exploring witchcraft, wicca, paganism and other spiritual beliefs to see where I felt I did or didn’t fit, or most of all what I do or don’t believe (which is whole other long story) but I ended up making these scented candles with herbs and crystals to use in my own rituals. Around the same time I heard about a company that was looking for people to promote crystals for them, so I ended up with a Facebook group to share both the crystals and my works in progress candle wise. I named the group ‘Saved by the Spell’ as a play on the 90s TV show, because I’m just an elderly millennial like that. That was late January 2020 and there was way more interest in the candles than I expected. I’ve been self-employed for years in my ‘day job’ of design and marketing, so it felt pretty natural to just do the paperwork needed and start selling the candles. 

It very quickly became clear that having the candles and crystals sent from different places wasn’t going to work for me, so I found some suppliers and stocked crystals myself. By early February I’d bought the domain www.thespell.co.uk (because it was the only thing close to the group name that was available) and so… that’s where the business name came from! I’ve spent years advising people on their small businesses, so I think that gave me the confidence to just go with it and not overthink the setup of my own. It really did happen organically. It helped that I was able to build the site myself, design the brand, labels… literally everything myself. Part of my OCD is that when I have an idea I obsess until I’m an expert on it – watching videos, reading forums – so I didn’t sleep much in that month. By the end of February I had a spare room full of witchy and spiritual stock from various suppliers to fill out the website, but just one of each item so it looked like my shop had loads more than it did. We do what we’ve got to do to get started.

Then March 2020 happened. I had a lot more time on my hands in lockdown, and so did everyone else. The group grew, orders piled up and a lot of people found comfort in taking back a little control of their lives with the products, information and advice we were sharing in our little community. We’re just about to hit 1k group members and it’s our safe, encouraging little corner of the internet.

3) What are your crystal recommendations for worry and stress? 

I’m a big believer in picking crystals that just feel right in the moment, but there are some that are believed to specifically help with these emotions. The ‘anxiety aid’ set I put together includes;

Blue Tiger's Eye - known for its stress relieving properties, it aids the over-anxious and quick-tempered to be able to slow down and take a step back when needed

Sodalite - brings order and calmness to the mind, encourages rational thought, objectivity, truth and intuition along with verbalisation of feelings. Brings emotional balance and calms panic attacks, enhances self-esteem, self-acceptance and self-trust

Amazonite - soothes trauma and calms the mind, alleviates worry and fear, and directs anger and irritability into a more positive action)

Howlite- a great stone to reduce anxiety, tensions, stress and anger, it is gentle, soothing and calms the energy around you. It is also good at encouraging emotional expression and it can help in the elimination of pain, and de-fuse stress and/or anger

4) What advice would you give to those fearful of friends and family reaction in regards to tarot cards and crystals? 

I’ve been really lucky to not come up against any judgement at all so far, or maybe I’ve just not noticed because I’m genuinely not bothered (not to sound extra ancient but that does come with age). If that’s a worry for you though, you might decide to just keep it to yourself while you’re exploring and finding your way, and there’s something nice about growing without the influence of other people. There are some who practice long-term without ‘coming out of the broomcloset’ by just using candles and other inconspicuous items for their rituals, or keeping a mini ‘altar kit’ in a tin or shoebox. I would be a nervous wreck waiting for someone to find it if that were me though, so being open and letting them get used to the idea slowly would be my strategy. Be confident and have conviction in what you’re doing.

I don’t want anyone to have to hide who they are or what they love, even if it’s just exploring the possibilities that are out there. Fear comes from a lack of knowledge or understanding, so if the people who aren’t supportive at first are people that are important to you, I would try to explain what it actually is that you’re doing or looking into. Also, don’t be afraid of reading and learning about all of the things, because I can promise you Hollywood lied to you. 

Do you make a wish when you blow out your birthday candles? Is the smell of lavender calming? Is fennel tea good for an upset stomach? All ‘witchcraft’. It really is that simple. I like to describe witchcraft as ‘the Law of Attraction with props’. It’s just sending your intention out there to whatever energies you believe in, and using things from nature to help you make your point. And Law of Attraction has actual scientific, cognitive testing to back it up. Just like fennel’s effects on the gut – it all makes sense. We’re not shouting “leviosaaa” and expecting magic. Magick (with a k) is just pure intention sent out there to try to influence how our lives are going to go.

5) You offer both Tarot an Oracle readings, what is the difference? 

The Tarot is a fixed system originating from the traditional Rider Waite deck in 1909, which has 22 major arcana cards (like The Fool, The Tower, The Devil etc) and 56 minor cards (the numbers of pentacles, wands, cups and swords). Every Tarot deck has the same 78 cards, regardless of artist and art style. Some may rename suits (like pentacles could instead be called coins, or whatever fits the theme of the deck) but the structure of the deck is always the same, and their meanings relate back to the original definitions.

Oracle cards are totally different and can essentially be whatever the creator of the deck wants them to be. They pick how many cards are in the deck, what sort of theme or imagery they use and what message each card represents. 

I like to use both in my readings, along with charms (which is another form of divination loosely related to runes). See how the rabbithole happens?

6) What is your favourite item you sell on The Spell? 

The candles will always be special to me, I stopped doing the original ones with the flowers and crystals for a couple of months to focus on developing a new range, but I was quickly nagged into bringing them back! I think the Mother Nature Altar Candle is a personal favourite though, because my connection to nature is what led to me exploring this whole world of spirituality in the first place. And she’s just so pretty to keep on my altar! Although… I am also working on some new candles that I haven’t shared yet which are very cute…

Credit: Instagram @thespell

Also (cheating now) but I have to give a quick shoutout to The Spell Box, which is a monthly box of surprises that I put together for subscribers. I’m just about to send out our 12th box and some customers have been subscribed since day one, which is just mindblowing and humbling. I can’t believe a whole year has passed already! 

7) Do you have a favourite scent or incense you like? 

If I could bathe in Palo Santo I would. Actually… can I? *adds to ideas list*

Palo Santo (sometimes called Holy Wood) is used for purifying the air in smoke cleanses, usually as an actual smouldering stick of wood but it can also come in incense sticks and cones. It has this sweet woody smell that’s hard to describe but it honestly makes my mouth water, I love it and find it really comforting. If you go looking for some it’s always important to make sure it’s ethically sourced though.

8) What is your main aim and intent with the Spell? 

The little ‘elevator pitch’ I use is “All of our products have been created or curated with love and intention to help you manifest your goals, making sure you focus on that which will attract more of what you want (not what you don't want!)” That pretty much sums it up really, I just want to help people feel better so they can make good things happen for themselves. It doesn’t matter at all if someone believes different things to me, the tools to do great things are the same.

9) What advice would you give to those wanting to try out spells or rituals? 

Trust. Your. Self.

There is no right or wrong way to do what feels natural to you, just trust your intuition. Overthinking will sap all of the energy out of you and what you’re trying to do. I think it’s great to look up rituals, find examples of spells etc online (like I said earlier that’s how I learn and I have scrapbooks full to prove it) BUT remember that there are no rules to witchcraft. Once you get a feel for what different herbs, flowers, crystals etc are good for and what their properties are, making your own ritual will always be more powerful for you than using someone else’s. For me personally a spell and a ritual is pretty much the same thing, though rituals can take a bit more preparation, but use whatever language makes you most comfortable.

10) Are there any events or new moons we should be keeping an eye out for to celebrate?

April's full moon will be our first of two Supermoons this year. The Pink Moon (named after pink wildflowers) will reach its official peak at 4:31am on the 27th. It's the perfect time to declutter, work on overdue projects and bond with family. The Full moon, and the day before and after, is a great time for reflection, meditation and letting go of things that aren't serving you well. Definitely my favourite time of each month, but the energies can run high!

11) Is there anything you would like to add? 

Yes, two things! First, you don’t need to fit in a box, there’s holes in all the boxes and they’re all connected and that’s fine. It’s a good thing! I personally know witches who are Christian, Pagan, Wiccan or Atheist, of all races and genders. The term ‘witch’ is old and might seem silly, but it’s a powerful word. We all know what happened to people in the 1600s who were a bit too loud, a bit too confident, or a bit too good with herbs. Being branded a witch was a death sentence, so taking it back has a sort if poetic ‘f**k you’ to it that I love, so I wear the name with pride.

Secondly, just in case any of your readers aren’t familiar with some of the terms I’ve dropped in today, let me boil down these most popular ‘starting points’ for them to explore…

Witchcraft – using a connection to nature to performs spells or rituals. A Witch may also be religious (calling on a god or goddess to help them), spiritual (calling on a spirit guide) or not at all, choosing only to worship and work with nature or the energy of the universe, and their own intuition.

Wicca – a relatively new religion inspired by Paganism and Western witchcraft traditions, where a Witch will also usually worship a god, goddess, or multiple gods.

Paganism – an ancient nature-worshipping religion that honours gods and goddesses, and celebrates the changing of the seasons with rituals.

Satanism – there are a few different groups within Satanism, some identify as a religion, some not. Most don’t believe in an actual Satan, using him instead as a symbol for balance, taking accountability for our own actions, life is for the living etc. I recommend reading more about this one particularly because it’s fascinating, but also where Hollywood has trained people’s minds to go when they hear ‘Witchcraft’. Be ready with those clever replies ;) 

These are simplified to the max though, so please do look into them more if any resonate at all. And if not, I really do hope that I’ve helped give a better understanding, maybe even appreciation, of what all this is about. 

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I find it all fascinating and definitely want to delve into being more spiritual in the coming months and I know The Spell will be the perfect place for all my needs as Sarah is always so friendly and willing to help with any queries.  

What do you think of the Q&A? Have you shopped with The Spell? Let me know below! 

Each month on Voluptuous Chatterbox I plan to Interview or publish a Guest Post from an Inspiring Woman. I will publish them on the 8th of each month to celebrate March 8th, International Women's Day. 

Giveaway: 

I'm giving away a £10 Giftcard to The Spell, to be in with a chance of winning check out the rafflecopter below and follow the instructions. If you've any questions please don't hesitate to email voluptuouschatterbox@yahoo.co.uk

I am responsible for this giveaway and it not nothing to with Sarah or The Spell. 

Giveaway Terms:

- Open to anyone over the age of 18 and who can receive a gift card for The Spell. 

- Closes 2 May 

- Winner will be contacted via email address provided, if you don't respond within 48 hours a new winner will be announced. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway