Hey Witches,
It’s been a few months since I last checked in with a “state of the Haus” chat, so I wanted to do that now! First off, I’m happy to say that everyone at HausWitch has stayed healthy and (relatively) happy this summer. Also, we did receive some loan and grant money from the SBA so we’re in pretty decent shape financially. But really, it’s your continued online orders that have truly been our lifeline and we appreciate it SO much.
As you may know, we’ve also been open by appointment for the last month or so, and that’s going really well too! We love love love seeing you all, and the treasure palace loves it too! Everyone has been really lovely and respectful of our rules and that has basically renewed SOME of our faith in humanity, so we are extremely grateful for that too. At this time, we plan on continuing the Appointment only model thru the rest of 2020, even in October. That being said, on this wild ride that is 2020 who knows if that will change! (But it probably won’t.)
Speaking of October! Let’s talk about it! The City of Salem has cancelled basically everything open to the public. No street fairs, no markets, no street performers, nothing, nada, zilch. But I know some of you, and a lot of others, are still planning on coming to Salem. Since we are still in the midst of a global pandemic, many businesses are bracing for that influx with little ability to predict or plan for what it will actually look like and are, quite frankly, terrified.
I mean, let’s be real for a sec, there are a lot of people being total dicks right now. There are a lot of people who simply refuse to follow simple guidelines like wearing a mask and social distancing and are complete jerks when workers ask them to comply. Like many of you, I find it quite baffling and disheartening. I just spoke with another Salem shop owner whose shop is open to the public and they told me that staff turns over (people quit, new people are hired, then those people quit) just about every week because they are being abused so badly. So, with that being the case, the idea of being open to the general public is not even on the table for me right now. I will not subject my staff, or myself, to abusive behavior for money, PERIOD.
Gratefully, HausWitch is in a position to say that (thanks to YOU our loyal followers and customers), so I don’t blame or shame any rule-abiding business who is open to the general public because they need to be. In fact, I empathize with all my heart and soul. What a tough position to be in.
(I know I’m speaking to the chorus here but damn, please be nice to retail and restaurant employees right now. AND wear a dang mask!)
SO HOW CAN WE HAVE FUN, EXPERIENCE JOY AND CELEBRATE OCTOBER ANYWAYS?
I’m so glad you asked! Since we realized that October was going to be much, much, much different this year we have been dreaming and scheming a TON about how to translate that experience for people who can’t make it, or who can but won’t really get the Salem they know and love. Basically, we’ve been working on putting October Salem in a box.
But wait, before we talk about that, did ya’ll know that October has TWO Full moons this year and they just happen to fall on the 1st and the 31st? Well, it’s true, and to us that says that October is going to be a major POWER PORTAL. What does that mean? At HausWitch we think it means that there will be tremendous potential for witches to bring about major paradigm shifts and we want to take full advantage. And what timing! AMIRIGHT? Halloween is 3 days before the election and boy oh boy do we need some magic for that!
Because of all that, we’re opening up a bunch more spots for our October Full Moon Circles, which will be led by fellow social justice warrior witch Zhana Levitsky and will center around using this powerful moon energy to enact change and (dare I say) revolution, on both personal and collective levels.
In addition to the moon circles and a few other exciting virtual events we’re lining up, we’ve got a bunch of new products coming, including a new treasure box called “Wandering Witch City” that’s meant to capture the experience of being here during the most magical time of the year (without all the annoying parts like, waiting 2 hours for a table at a restaurant and hunting for the ever-elusive public bathrooms lol). There will be Soy Much Brighter candles in all of your favorite fall scents, a Witch City Moondrops potion (which I’m brewing up myself with authentic Salem moonbeams and everything!), Salem-themed crystals, an apple cider spell, a couple of treats from other Salem businesses, and more! We really love what we’ve come up with and we know you will too. We will have a limited number of these split between online and in-store, and pre-orders will open up later this month!
We also wanted to make sure that we came up with a 2020-appropriate spell kit for making the most out of your Halloween, wherever you are. That’s where our All Hallows Eve Spell Kit for Radical Re-Alignment comes in! Basically, we are designing a spell for all witches to perform TOGETHER on Halloween/Samhain to bring about the end of the Cis-hetero-white-supremacist capitalist, ableist patriarchy. The spell will focus on healing ancestral trauma and visioning new realities for all of earth’s beings.
There will be two options for accessing the spell. The first will be to buy the full spell kit from us with all the tools you need, including a handbound cord-cutting notebook (made by our own Assistant Manager Brenda), a cast iron cauldron, a crystal palm stone, a candle, and a couple of other bits and bobs. The second option will be a digital download of just the spell text instructions, which will be low-cost and 100% of the money will be donated to a to-be-determined social justice organization focusing on the aforementioned principles. Halloween is the perfect time to communicate with our ancestors so let’s take this opportunity to connect, and to heal.
I’ll end here by saying that I would not be doing this work if I did not believe 100% that witches have the power to conjure this change. I fully believe that big witch energy is exactly what our world needs to re-align itself with a framework of peace, justice, empathy, care, safety and comfort for the planet and everyone on it. Another world is possible, and Witches are the future.
The moon is in Gemini and the Witches say “Do It Different”.
-By Head Witch In Charge Erica Feldmann
