This week I'm talking to Tabitha of Two Geminis and a Leo. Tabitha runs Backwoods Brews and Botanicals, and she talks about kids, clairaudience, and a little about how to stay safe in the woods of Appalachia.
Backwoods Brews & Botanicals
Backwoods Brews & Botanicals instagram
Two Geminis and a Leo instagram
Two Geminis and a Leo Astro Lounge
This week's sponsor:
The Finch and the Forest
The Finch & The Forest combines life long passions for gardening & jewelry-making alongside storytelling. The Finch and the Forest is eager to serve you on your spiritual path.
Tabitha Gemini
of Backwoods Brews and Botanicals and Two Geminis and a Leo Podcast
Welcome back to Your Average Witch, where every tuesday we talk about witch life, witch stories, and sometimes a little witchcraft. This week I'm talking to Tabitha of Two Geminis and a Leo. Tabitha runs Backwoods Brews and Botanicals, and she talks about kids, clairaudience, and a little about how to stay safe in the woods of Appalachia. Before we get started, here's a word from this week's sponsor, the Finch and the Forest. The Finch and the Forest specializes in magically handcrafted, spiritually inspired amulets, curios, and botanicals. Based in the Mississippi River Bend of the Midwest, Emily Fink launched the Finch and the Forest to combine her lifelong passions for jewelry making and gardening alongside storytelling. She enjoys making jewelry with one of a kind tumbled stones so that each piece is truly unique and loves being able to craft plants from her garden into various curios and botanical products. To shop, visit thefinchandtheforest.com and use the coupon code AVERAGE for 10% off your entire purchase. You can also find The Finch and the Forest on Instagram and Facebook where Emily highlights her products intertwined with magic and mythology. The Finch and the Forest is eager to serve you on your spiritual path. So visit thefinchandtheforest.com today. Now let's get to the stories.
Kim: Hi Tabitha, welcome to the show.
Tabitha: Hi. Thank you so much for having me.
Kim: Oh, thank you for being here Can you please introduce yourself and let everybody know who you are and what you do and where they can find you?
Tabitha: Yeah, so my name is Tabitha. I am... obviously. *Kim laughs* And I am...
Kim: What if It wasn't though. What if I was just saying shit?
Tabitha: It's not my name I have everybody fooled. But I am the owner of Backwoods Brews and Botanicals, and I am also the, one half of the Geminis on 2 Geminis and a Leo, the astrology podcast. And you can find us on Instagram, Facebook, wherever you get your podcasts, and Backwoods is also on Facebook and Instagram and Etsy. So on Instagram, 2 Geminis and a Leo, we are on Instagram @2GeminisandaLeo, Facebook 2 Geminis and a Leo. We also have a brand new Astro Lounge, a new Facebook group.
Kim: What?!
Tabitha: Yeah, we have a new Facebook group.
Kim: I'm in that. I just didn't realize that's what it was called. *both laugh*
Tabitha: Yeah, we just, yeah, we came. I think it was Teresa that came up with the name Astro Lounge. So it's two Gemini's and a Leo. Astro Lounge, which I thought is very fancy. And then on Instagram for Backwoods, it is @BackwoodsBrewsBotanicals and Facebook is Backwoods Brews and Botanicals. And on Etsy is Backwoods Brews.
Kim: Etsy is weird the way they make you do things though.
Tabitha: It is, I'm trying to work on a website so I can try to steer away from Etsy but it's also so convenient.
Kim: Expensive and hard?
Tabitha: It is SO expensive! But it's convenient, unfortunately.
Kim: Yeah, I'm lazy and Etsy is easy.
Tabitha: It, yeah, exactly.
Kim: What made you get into teas?
Tabitha: So, herbalism is, so first of all, I guess going back, I've always been very connected to nature and I've always liked to find different things in nature. I don't know much about foraging, to be fair, but I used to find things and collect them. And eventually, you know, COVID happened and there was like a lot of, you know, I started, I had kids, they started getting sick every like December for whatever reason. December is like our month to get sick. Everybody is sick all of December for whatever reason. But like, I don't know, with, with getting, with the kids getting sick and stuff, it just, a lot of them met like I didn't want to use... Like I didn't want to shove just random medicines that I had no idea what were in them like down their throats and stuff, you know what I mean? So I just, I started looking into, I started really doing some research into herbal remedies and stuff. And a lot of the things... I just just really resonated with teas. I love tea. I love drinking tea. But I am trying to, I'm looking into expanding past teas and stuff like that. But I really just like the herbal remedies and it makes me feel a lot better knowing the things that I put into my body and you know, my kids' bodies.
Kim: Yeah.
Tabitha: Yeah. It just, it just feels, it's safer. It feels safer to me, you know?
Kim: What does it mean to you when you call yourself a witch?
Tabitha: I think it means something different to every person, to everybody that's that calls themself a witch I think it means something different. To me it it means being connected and whether that's to nature, to spirits, to the collective consciousness, to whatever you find yourself connected to, I think that it's really diving into that connection and using the energy of whatever you feel connected to, to make the world a better place. That's what I really, that was really kind of cheesy, *laughs* but I think that that's really, really for me it's just being connected and using that connection to just really enhance the world around you.
Kim: Cool.
Tabitha: Yeah.
Kim: Do you have any family history with witchcraft or do you look back and think wow nobody said they were a witch but they went out and collected stuff and like tied things and put things in the fridge, in the freezer?
Tabitha: So, not family, well not really, not certain, like I don't know. It's, we had the spiritual side. Like the, my grandmother had visions, like my mom used to get intuitive feelings and really used to, and I used to, as a kid, I was clairaudient. So I would, it was crazy.
Kim: Oh NO. That sounds terrible as a kid...
Tabitha: Oh my God. It was the worst. So I, it was because I was young and it lasted up until my teens and I really blocked it out because I thought I was legitimately schizophrenic. But it would almost sound like I was in a, I would just it would be like I would just be in my room like just hanging out and it almost sounds like I was in a like in a like in a crowded room almost like I almost I almost imagined it like a ballroom and like there was like a dull roar of conversation. Like nobody was like yelling or anything but it was just like the, a lot of people talking at one time but I could never understand what anybody was saying. And then all of a sudden I would hear my name.
Kim: Absolutely not.
Tabitha: And it was, it was, and I, well I thought for a, I was like oh my god I'm hearing voices, that's it, I'm crazy, and I ended up blocking it out.
Kim: I hate that for, I'm gonna say us as in witches, but I hate that for us that we usually end up fucking up the we can do.
Tabitha: Exactly.
Kim: Because nobody wants to, "Oh you're a witch, ha ha, what are you, you going to Hogwarts?" Shut the fuck up. I'm hearing voices, asshole.
Tabitha: *laughs* Yeah, I'm hearing voices. Oh my god, yeah, no, it's, and it's so, it sucks because like I didn't have anybody, well I didn't really tell anybody. But even if I would have told somebody, like I didn't really have anybody that would have sat there with me and like been like, okay, like this is what it is, let's you know let's embrace that a little bit. Because now it's so hard to get it back.
Kim: Yeah.
Tabitha: Like i don't i'm not anymore and i've been trying to work on you know the the clairaudience thing but it hasn't really it's i think it's going to be really difficult to get it back.
Kim: And as for everyone listening who is immediately thinking "You're a dumbass, you're you're putting people at risk," i'm not saying don't take mundane, don't use mundane means to see if people or your kids are schizophrenic.
Tabitha: Right, right. Absolutely.
Kim: But also don't just tell them that they're schizophrenic.
Tabitha: Right.
Kim: Maybe, maybe listen to what they're telling you.
Tabitha: No, absolutely. Like if there's, if there's a concern, definitely, obviously get them... I'm not a medical professional. Don't listen to me. Don't take my advice. *laughs*
Kim: My brother actually is schizophrenic.
Tabitha: Yeah?
Kim: Yeah. But is he or...
Tabitha: That is so hard.
Kim: It's a misery.
Tabitha: Yeah.
Kim: So I'm not saying, "Oh, everybody who hears voices is just a witch hearing their ancestors" or whatever.
Tabitha: Right.
Kim: No. I understand some people are schizophrenic.
Tabitha: Right.
Kim: Absolutely. Not all of them are.
Tabitha: No. And like schizophrenia shows up in many, many different ways and stuff like that too. So I mean, it's, it's, yeah, please, please don't... (both laugh) Kim: Let's not getting cancelled.
Tabitha: Please don't cancel me. *laughs* I'm not, I'm not trying to give anybody any sort of medical advice, you know, but yeah, it was, it was, looking back on it now, it doesn't, it was more of a... I would hear it... like I actually, so I actually did have an experience at Anahata's this past year, a little clairaudience experience that that I wish I could like take back. Because that was not, that was not a fun, it was not a fun time for me.
Kim: What was up with it this year?
Tabitha: I have no idea but mine was it was terrifying. It was literally, it was terrifying because I grew up... So I actually grew up around Anahata's. Like my high school is five minutes up the road from Anahata's, and so I am familiar with little things like little superstitions. And I guess that this kind of goes back to that question that you like, you know, do you have any family history? Like, no, but I know like the legends, like don't, don't go wandering in the woods by yourself at night. I did it anyway, but not at night *laughs*. But like, you know, I, I, you know, there's, there's things that you're not supposed to do. Right? And if you hear something coming from the woods saying your name, or...
Kim: Jesus.
Tabitha: ... what's up, like, no, you didn't, you didn't hear it.
Kim: You know if that happens to me that I will, because I'm... I forget that things are bad, and...
Tabitha: I'm never...
Kim: I'm gonna go "Oh somebody just called me in the woods in the middle of the night, who is that?"
Tabitha: Hey, what's up? Yeah, no.
Kim: And then I vanish forever. *both laugh*
Tabitha: Kim's gone. I... it's so funny because I never had that experience until Anahata's this year. And I always thought I would do the same thing but initially like my my fight-or-flight like kicked in.
Kim: Good.
Tabitha: And immediately I was about to be like "Nope." I was about to go like "Hey, no." I know but then I was like no best way just walk away. But yeah I was walking back from the bathrooms because I was camping at Sky Hill. And I was just walking and I heard something like up, there's like a little like path. I was walking like right next to the woods and I heard something, like the woods was on like my direct left and I heard something go "Hey."
Kim: Oh, no.
Tabitha: And immediately I was like OH. I like stopped for like a, like a like a millisecond. Like I paused for like not even a heartbeat and then I was just like nope, and I just walked. Like I just walked fast cuz like don't, don't run, just walk really fast past. Just walk back to the campsite. And I immediately went and told...
Kim: Everyone.
Tabitha: ...two of the people there. What?
Kim: Everyone.
Tabitha: I immediately I went to...
Kim: Pickle Street or whatever it was?
Tabitha: Yeah, yeah, it was Pickle Place! *laughs* Pickle Place, I went back to Pickle Place and I was like, yo, no. I, no, I pulled, I don't know if I, well, I pulled Summer aside and, ended up speaking to Summer and Corey and I was like, this is what happened, I know you guys know.
Kim: Summer and Corey had a busy Anahata's. *laughs*
Tabitha: Yes, they did. So I told them and I was just like, hey, this is what happened. And it was right before the full moon ritual. So they they knew what to do better than I did. So they handled it.
Kim: Okay, after all of that... *laughs*
Tabitha: Yeah, Yeah. *laughs*
Kim: Can you let us know, do you have any regular or consistent practices, like daily things you do, or if not daily, just consistent?
Tabitha: I try, I do try to pull a card every day. I at least try to do that, but if I can't do that, I do some intention, like in my coffee or my tea or whatever I'm having that morning. I do try to put some intention into it, but it's so funny because I had somebody at one point call me an off-the-cuff witch. I'm kind of just, I'm very like not consistent *laughs* and it sounds bad, but I'm very not consistent. It's kind of, because I'm a stay-at-home mom, I have the podcast, I have Backwoods. And in between that and school stuff, I'm pretty busy. So I really need to be better about setting time aside for a daily practice. But most of the time, it's just whatever I can, whatever I can do, you know? Whether it's doing, putting the intention in the coffee, or being able to pull a card every day, or even just sitting and taking a couple of deep breaths. Like that's what I try to fit in a daily practice as much as I can, but you know. Sometimes it's hard. So I'm not really consistent, but I try. *laugh*
Kim: Yeah, I think if I had anything at all happening in my life more than I have now, I couldn't even do these small things that I do in the morning.
Tabitha: Yeah, it's hard, especially because I get the kids up, and I wake the kids up and it's a rush from the second I get the kids up, to making their lunches for the day, and making them breakfast, getting them dressed, getting them off to school. And then after that, a lot of the times I'll be running errands during the day so that I don't have to drive them around with me. When I go out in public, I can just kind of, you know, go do my errands, grocery shopping, whatever I have to do. And it's just, you know, sometimes it's hard to really set aside the time to do the daily practice that I want to. I want to have a really good daily practice, like a solid foundation, and I just, I need to be better about time management and really like scheduling time for that.
Kim: I can't fathom having children. I just, I can't deal with it.
Tabitha: *laughs* It's so funny because yeah, it's, it's a lot and it's a lot, it's, it's stressful. For sure. There's a lot of things that come up, and there's a lot of things. Like you're always trying to do your best just as a parent and it's not easy. It is not easy. But it's it's rewarding for me. Like I really enjoy and I know that obviously it's not for everybody.
Kim: I would hope, jesus.
Tabitha:Yes, it's really rewarding. Yeah, I love it. I love them more than anything. So I love my children. *both laugh* I love them very much. Sometimes I have to tell myself that I love them. I have to remind myself of that. *laughs* Like I love them and I don't need to like just leave. But...
Kim: Good for you. *both laugh*
Tabitha: Yeah, I try. That sounds so bad. Sometimes you got to hide in the bathroom and cry. I mean, sometimes it happens.
Kim: If anyone actually has children it does not sound bad, it sounds relatable I guarantee it.
Tabitha: Yeah.
Kim: I don't even have kids and sometimes I'm like damn, I wish I could just like not do this. I want a different life.
Tabitha: Yeah. *laughs*
Kim: Would you say that witchcraft has changed your life?
Tabitha: I would. I would absolutely say that, because I don't know, I feel like I've been a lot more open to hearing other people's experiences. I really like, now, I really like learning about other people's practices and hearing what they do. But it's also made me just connect with nature more and really try, I'm really working on right now trying to stay off the phone or stay off social media or whatever. And it's hard, too, for that because I know a lot of people just kind of, what do they call it, doom scrolling or whatever? Where you just kind of dissociate. And that's what I do, I just dissociate, I just scroll on my phone, but I'm really working on trying to get away from that and witchcraft is helping. Because I'm very nature-based in my practice. I guess I'm a little bit more, I lean more I guess to the folk side of things, but yeah. Witchcraft has definitely been helping me like be more present, and just open myself up to other people and other people's experiences, and really kind of try to see things from others' perspectives, which has really been eye-opening.
Kim: That's interesting.
Tabitha: Yeah.
Kim: That witchcraft is what's making you do that. I like that.
Tabitha: Well, thank you. I used to be pretty set in my ways and stuff like that, and now I'm just trying to learn as much as I can, and that includes learning about others, and herbs. I love learning. I'm a Gemini, I love learning. I'm a Gemini with a Sagittarius rising. I love to learn shit. So yeah, it's just, yeah. Witchcraft is-
Kim: Whatwould you say is-
Tabitha: Go ahead, sorry.
Kim: No, you go.
Tabitha: No, I just, I just, witchcraft has just been, really eye-opening. That's all.
Kim: What would you say is the biggest motivator in your practice?
Tabitha: I'm gonna give the typical parent answer, but honestly it's true. It's my kids. I wasn't raised in witchcraft, I wasn't like, you know, brought up, I was brought up in a moderately Christian household. I've really kind of broken away from that, and it's being open. Like helping my kids really. Helping... like my daughter is very very much a loud and proud witch. And she will tell everybody that hears it,and really just, she thinks it's like the best thing ever and it's so sweet like seeing her. Like she's, she's so funny. She, anytime I'm doing any sort of witchcraft... I just, I really want to keep my like practice going not only for me, but for her, because she's just so inspired by it. And it's really I think helping her to step out of her comfort zone a little bit, and just you know I guess put it, being a good like role model for that. Really trying to step into my practice. Because I didn't start until later on in life, and this way she gets to be grown up around it, growing up around it. And yeah it sounds cheesy but that's the biggest motivator is my kids. And like just being able to have them like come to me about any sort of questions or anything that they have revolving around witchcraft, or anything, really, but you know. Specifically with this question. It's just... it's... I'm trying to be a good role model.
Kim: Do you ever feel like you have to deal with imposter syndrome?
Tabitha: All the time. All the time. It's yeah it's not, it's not easy to... it's not easy to break past that. *laughs* But yes, it's... a lot of the time like when that when that comes up I'll kind of rely, and this sounds kind of silly, but I'll rely on my friends and those around me. And I'll ask, or if I have a question, or if I'm just like man. I'm just like, what if I'm faking this? Like, what if, what if I'm not really, you know, what if this isn't, what if, what if I'm going crazy or, you know, I really am crazy.
Kim: Yeah.
Tabitha: It's nice knowing that like a lot of, I'm very lucky and I have a coven of people who are just amazing. And a lot of the times like I don't even have to ask them or say anything, and they'll remind me. Like Teresa, my my co-host all the time. I'm like every once in a while like my teas really even like helping people? And she'll, send me so she'll message me and she'll be like "Your sick day tea saved my life today," and it's just every once in a while. Like that's, I'll go back and listen to those messages every once in a while and I'll just be like okay. So I'm at least helping one person. I'm at least helping one person. So yeah, that's that's what I do to beat it.
Kim: You turn to your friends
Tabitha: Yeah, my friends and my husband.
Kim: Who tell you to quit talking shit about yourself.
Tabitha: Yeah.
Kim: Be nice to my friend!
Tabitha: Yeah, that's what they say.
Kim: Good. What brings you the most joy in your practice?
Tabitha: Oh. I'm trying to think of an answer other than my kids. *laughs* Because I really do love working. My daughter is more into it right now than my son is, but I really do love working and doing spell work with my daughter because she just loves it. But the most joy I think is just really when I have a good, and I haven't meditated in a really long time but like a good meditation. That's when I'm like "Okay, I am a real witch, guys." Like a really good minute and I only get like, again, I haven't meditated in a really long time and that's something I definitely need to get back to but it's, yeah. It's when I have a really good meditation or a spell that just kind of goes the way that I wanted it to. But on the opposite, I guess, kind of end of that, I have a really snarky tarot deck that I pull from. And this thing has... it's the Wild Unknown tarot deck. And it was the first deck I ever bought and this deck just, it brings me joy in like the weirdest way because it is snarky and it is sarcastic and it's like, like if I pull a card for example, and this happens consistently, but if I pull a card and "I'm just like I'm really not understanding like this, this doesn't resonate with me, like this card for whatever reason just doesn't resonate like this has nothing to do," you know, I'm just not picking up what it's putting down, right? We're not on the same wavelength. Consistently it will throw out the nine of swords, like, okay, that doesn't resonate? Here's anxiety and insomnia and bad dreams. I bet this fucking resonates! Excuse my language, *laughs* but I bet this resonates, doesn't it? This one right here? Yeah, the other ones didn't, but this one will. And consistently, that's what happens. Every time I'm just like, I don't understand what you're trying to tell me. It's like, okay, we'll understand this. Here. Kim: That's rude!
Tabitha: *laughs* It is so rude, but it brings me joy because I'm just like, okay, like...
Kim: "Think harder, bitch." *laughs*
Tabitha: I think it's so funny. It crack- Honestly, I just laugh at it now because I'm just like, okay, I see you. I understand. I will look into the other cards a little bit more. Sorry. It's just it brings me joy because it just makes me laugh. Honestly. I know it sounds weird because the nine of swords is like really dark. But...
Kim: Yeah, I don't like looking at that card.
Tabitha: No, no, it's it's very, in the the...
Kim: It's my life. Oh, good. Show me when I'm crying at night with insomnia and anxiety, great. Awesome.
Tabitha: Yeah, yeah, Insomnia and anxiety, great. Anxiety keeps me up at night. Thanks, thanks so much for that. But it just it yeah it just makes me laugh because it's just like "Okay, that didn't resonate? This does!" like... it's just funny.
Kim: "Oh you don't want a message, you just want to resonate? Here you go."
Tabitha: *laughs* Exactly. That's funny. Yeah.
Kim: You made me think of something though, going back to working with your kids.
Tabitha: Yeah.
Kim: That seems like a little way to secretly, like a little intention battery, because kids, at least witches' kids, haven't been taught or trained that, hey, things aren't real.
Tabitha: Right.
Kim: They don't know. So all that intention, their honest belief and certainty that this will work, goes into your work.
Tabitha: Yes, absolutely. And that is something that, you know, and just that little bit of confidence in like, "Hey, I can do this," has just been so big. And my kids feel like they can come to me about anything, too, which is really nice. People would be like, oh my God, I feel like I'm crazy. And this has been prove- my daughter came up to me and she said "Mommy I feel like there was somebody standing behind me in the kitchen."
Kim: Gross.
Tabitha: ...and yeah she said like, and she described it like to a T. She described, this is crazy, but she said "I felt like there was, I was in the fridge getting a yogurt" and there's like a hallway, right near the kitchen. And she said, "It felt like when I was getting this yogurt, that there was somebody that was peeking around that corner from the hallway and it felt like this, like somebody came up behind me, was just standing right behind me." And like, I went into, you know, mama bear mode at first, but like, she felt comfortable coming to me about that, is the biggest thing is like, she felt she wasn't like, Okay, I feel like I'm going crazy. There wasn't anybody there, you know, but I felt this like, it felt like it in this way." She can like, you know, and my son's getting there too, but yeah.
Kim: You're treating your inner child by helping your own kids.
Tabitha: Exactly. That is a big, yeah, yeah. I'm trying to help them make sure that they don't feel alone.
Kim: I'll have to get a loaner kid at some point.
Tabitha: *laughs* Yeah.
Kim: I'm not gonna do that. Don't anybody freak out. *Tabitha laughs* What is your favorite tool in your practice? It doesn't have to be a physical object. Tabitha: Oh, my hands. My hands.
Kim: Good one.
Tabitha: Yeah, thanks. I actually just came up with that. *laughs* Like right off, but that makes the most sense. Honestly, it was funny because I was gonna say my herbs and stuff like that but honestly it's truly, it's my hands. Because there's so much that I do, that I use my hands for, because I don't use a ton of like physical tools. I don't have a wand. I don't have, I do have an... however you want to say it, a thame, athame, whatever, a...
Kim: A knife.
Tabitha: The pointy thing. I have one of those. I have a pointy thing. But I don't, I actually don't typically use it the way, you use it the typical Athame, I use it to cut up herbs and stuff. But anyway, I like working with my hands because I do a lot of energy work with my hands. And I always, obviously, always have my hands with me. And that's sometimes all you need to do any sort of spell or any sort of energy work or intention. *Kim laughs* What? No go ahead.
Kim: *laughing* I was just thinking what if you didn't?
Tabitha: *laughs* Oh my god I just left, sorry guys, I can't do anything, I left my hands at home. Or shit, I left my hands in my car again. *laughs*
Kim: The kids hid one of my hands. Sorry. That just...
Tabitha: No, you're- no, that's funny. No, I like that. I left my hands at home. Oh, that's funny. So yeah, my hands. As long as I have them with me.
Kim: If you have them.
Tabitha: If you have them, yes.
Kim: Like your eyebrows.
Tabitha: Like your eyebrows.
Kim: If you could only recommend one book to a new witch, what would it be?
Tabitha: So hard, because there's so many there's so many. What... Okay so one I've been looking into, I haven't read it yet so don't at me, but it was recommended by Margo, who I trust with books, with anything book recommendations, but one thing I've been looking into is Six Ways. Another one, and this is pretty specific, but it's Folk Witchcraft, a guide to lore, land, and the Familiar Spirit for the Solitary Practitioner by Roger J Horn.
Kim: Okay, that's my deal, that's my jam, so I'm going to be going on my list.
Tabitha: It's so good, and it's a small little book. It's not huge compared to others, but I've been really leaning into the folk side of things. That's where my practice ended up really kind of moving into. So, and I think that that's an excellent, an excellent book.
Kim: Now I know we went over imposter syndrome and how yucky that can make you feel. When you get into a magical slump or a low period, how do you pull yourself back up?
Tabitha: I just did this and it's funny because I was talking to Margo about this and she, like we were talking about it and I was just like, I have been in such a slump lately. So what I'm doing right now is I am just cleaning my altars. I am cleaning and redoing my altars. And you know. It takes some effort. Like I had to push myself to get up and really do that, but just cleaning my magical areas and just redoing them. And that's something that really kind of like, was like a breath of fresh air basically. Like, whew, okay, like this has been updated. I did this, now I can really do the other things that I need to do. To get, cause I just, it was like a couple of months was, that I was, it's been a while. That I was just in this slump, and I just really couldn't break past it, and all I did was just redo my altars. And you know, left some offerings for my patron deity and my house spirits, and...
Kim: That sounds like a lot of things, honestly.
Tabitha: Well it honestly, I don't have a ton of altars and they're all very small and they're not super cluttered. So it's not a ton, it's really just taking everything off and dusting them, is really where I started. I just took everything off, dusted it, and rearranged it, and that's all. And it wasn't, it doesn't... it wasn't as hard as I thought it was gonna be. *laughs* And it sounds like a lot more than it actually was. But yeah, just dusting, almost like dusting off, you know. Like okay this is my, this is my...
Kim: The miasma?
Tabitha: Yeah, yeah. Like taking out that, taking out the inner box, the taking out the box of your inner witchcraft and just kind of dusting off the top and opening the box again.
Kim: Yeah like when you're going through your closet and you find something from like 10 years ago and you're like oh remember that.
Tabitha: Exactly. Yeah that's kind of the way that I looked at it and...
Kim: That's cool.
Tabitha: Yeah, thank you.
Kim: Do you ever work magically with other witches?
Tabitha: With my coven I do, yeah. We've done a couple of... well, our coven. I shouldn't say my coven. Our coven. But yeah, we've done just a couple of things. Like, not all the time, but yes. And then a lot of the time with my daughter, her and I will do a lot of spell work together.
Kim: Cool.
Tabitha: Yeah. My son, too. My son likes to help me when I ward the property.
Kim: Yay. That's good!
Tabitha: Yeah, because I usually what I do is I make little jars of, you know, and I just, I don't really have like an ingredients thing of like what I do. I just kind of intuitively make these little jars and I put them at the four corners of the property, pick up the old ones and then bring those in to reuse them. I use the glass mason jars because those just seem to hold up better, but I always, because I know that's pretty controversial, but I always replace them and take the ones that I already used and I wash them and I cleanse them and stuff like that. But my son really likes to help me because while I'm doing that, I'll be carrying like, I usually use like cedar to cleanse, or dragon's blood, or I have a couple of sticks of palo santo that people have sent me, so I use like the palo santo, I usually bring like palo santo dragon's blood or cedar and carry that around as I walk the four corners of the property. And my son likes to help me do that. Plus he's able to get into the woods a little bit where I can't. I have to have him, like, I have to pick him up over the fence. I have to pick him up over the fence. I'm like, go get the other jar and put this one down. *both laugh* So, But yeah, I work with my kids a lot.
Kim: That's sweet.
Tabitha: Yeah.
Kim: Who would you say are the three biggest influences on your practice? Who or what?
Tabitha: Oh man, I Feel so bad saying this again, but my kids 100%.
Kim: They're your children. They should be glad you're you're mentioning them at all.
Tabitha: I don't have much of a life, so... outside of my kids. *both laugh* No, my kids definitely. Because again, I'm just trying to be a good role model in a lot of ways. The witchy side of it is a big thing, at least to my daughter for right now. She's very into it. So I'm trying to be a good, like, so them, my kids. Herbs are a big thing for me. They influence, I try, I actually base a lot of my practice around herbs and different properties of them, and then... big influence. *sighs* I guess just intention. I know that that was probably, these are things that I, you know, but yeah, those are probably the biggest influences on my practice are my kids, my herbs, and my intentions.
Kim: That's interesting. More than other answers. Other than, I mean, family, but that's cool.
Tabitha: Yeah. Yeah. Thank you.
Kim: Do you have any advice for any new witches?
Tabitha: I already said this, but in my opinion start with protection. Make sure you know how to protect yourself, what to protect against, be specific.
Kim: Oh my gosh.
Tabitha: Learn from me, be specific in everything that you do or be as specific as you can. And yeah, definitely just protect yourself, that's the biggest thing.
Kim: Who do you think I should have on the podcast next?
Tabitha: This one was really hard I so this is difficult. I really like Jake Richards' books.
Kim: Dude. Yeah. you're like the third person to say that.
Tabitha: I would love to hear from Jake Richards 100%.
Kim: I'm trying to find out how to contact him besides his Instagram, which I'm sure is full of scams. I don't want to contact him through Instagram.
Tabitha: No, absolutely. Yeah, I would love to hear from Jake Richards.
Kim: Is there anything that you wanted to talk about that I didn't ask or anything you want to talk about that I didn't ask?
Tabitha: I'm not sure. I'm not sure. I don't have any sales happening, but I am coming out with, I'm working right now on a, for teas and stuff, I'm working on a deity line of teas. We, Two Geminis and a Leo is going on tour with WBAH.
Kim: Yeah!
Tabitha: ... which is really cool.
Kim: Can you tell can you tell us anything about that?
Tabitha: So we're looking at mid-April, and we're going to be in the Northeast. So we're looking into Philly and New York for right now.
Kim: Cool.
Tabitha: Yeah it's going to be so fun. It's so fun. So we're really excited about it. We just finished up the poster like last week. Okay, Seka from Seka Artistry, she did it. She's amazing. Seka's amazing. The poster turned out absolutely incredible. I can't wait to share it with everybody. And yeah, I'm really excited.
Kim: Neat. Do you know how many shows you're going to do?
Tabitha: We're looking, I believe, at four.
Kim: Cool.
Tabitha: Four shows. Yeah. Yeah. Very exciting. Over about two weeks.
Kim: I think the Southwest has envy.
Tabitha: It's so interesting.
Kim: When is Bean Fest Southwest happening?
Tabitha: *laughs* Listen, when it happens, let me know. I'll try and come down.
Kim: Gem show. Gem show.
Tabitha: Oh, I wanted to go so bad. I wanted to go so bad this year, but it didn't work out.
Kim: I'm telling everybody, 2024 is the year! We're going to rent a house and it's going to be a fancy house.
Tabitha: Okay, sign me up. I'm in. I'm in for GemSow 2024. 100%. Because that's like I wanted to go. I've wanted to go to the Tucson Gem Show for such a long time, but it just never worked out. 2024, I'm planning now, marking it off of my calendar.
Kim: Now at the end I ask two questions.
Tabitha: Okay.
Kim: Actually I don't ask I just say do it.
Tabitha: *laughs* Okay.
Kim: Recommend something to the listeners.
Tabitha: Ooh recommend something. So I heard you, I was listening to the the one with Margo, the interview that you did with Margo, and you were like, recommend your stuff. So I'm gonna recommend the Two Geminis and a Leo podcast, and Backwoods Brews and Botanicals for your teas. But also, I'm gonna recommend a good pair of shoes. I have a really good pair.
Kim: I really thought you were gonna say parachute. I was like Wow!
Tabitha: Well, yeah, definitely. If that's something you're into, definitely make sure that you have a really good parachute. But yeah, get a good pair of shoes. Get you a good pair of shoes. You know, it feels different for everybody else. But I just I don't know, I have a really comfy pair of shoes on today and I recommend them get you a good pair of shoes.
Kim: *laughs* Cool. *both laugh*
Tabitha: Yeah. I know I've been given some weird answers. More unique ones.
Kim: Finally, please tell me a story that you love to tell. Tell me your gathering story that you tell around a campfire or a family reunion. Tabitha: So this was this was one that my mom used to tell me. It's not really like one specific story, it's about a person. My Aunt Ruby, my great aunt, my mom's aunt. I never got to meet her, but my mom used to tell me and anybody else that would listen that her house was haunted as fuck. So her and my great uncle Malvin were very, they were very well off, and they never had kids or they had... they did have kids. I'm sorry. They had two kids. (Kim laughs) I lied. I never met them, but they... the kids, after the kids moved out like they ended up just, they have like this big ass house and my mom said that like there was a plant room in this house. and she never...
Kim: Neat!
Tabitha: Yeah, but she never, my mom was too terrified to go past the kitchen. Like, to look around the rest of the house by herself.
Kim: What?!
Tabitha: Because it was so haunted. And she said it was so funny because, like, she's seen, like, glasses, like, fly off at the wall. And my Aunt Ruby... ...was a... ...boss, and just started yelling at them. And was like, "Don't you fucking throw things in my kitchen!" this, like she would tell these ghosts off, and tell them, just tell them, like just give them what for if they ever tried to mess around with her. And then my mom said I guess one of her cousins, one of Ruby's kids, was like staying with her and saw some sort of spirit like in the hallway just kind of standing there at the end of the hallway. So she screamed for my great aunt, and my great aunt just grabbed her hand and just walked right through it. Like, she didn't even care. Like, she just, she would give them...
Kim: "I don't have time for this, it's just an apparition, just walk through it." *laughs*
Tabitha: My mom always said, and like, it just kind of, it puts things in perspective, said that my aunt Ruby had the mouth and the attitude of a truck driver. Like, it's the way that my mom, my mom used to put it. But yeah, they would, so they would go to their house down in Florida and, she would tell the spirits to like take care of her plants. And like, she'd come back and her plants would be like thriving and totally fine.
Kim: So she bossed her ghosts.
Tabitha: She did. She did. And she said that there was only ever one time that she was scared of anything that happened in that house. And I guess she was taking laundry up to the attic. And the attic was just some sort of...
Kim: An attic, which are skeevy?
Tabitha: Yeah. Well they had a psychic come in and say that there was some sort of like serious like energy vortex portal thing up there in the attic where it was just, and that's why her house was so haunted supposedly. But she was putting the laundry, I guess was up in the attic, and she went to go up to the attic and like something rushed her down the stairs.
Kim: That's rude.
Tabitha: And like while she was carrying laundry and she like threw the laundry up in the air and like took off down the stairs that was the only time that she was ever scared. So I just I don't know that's something that's like entertaining like I just imagine this, because she was all of like five foot nothing and just... my mom said that she was so scary that she was like "I don't blame the ghosts for being terrified of her, because she was terrifying." I don't know, I always thought that was so funny, hearing that as a kid.
Kim: Well, thanks for being on the show.
Tabitha: Yeah, thank you so much for having me.
Kim: And everybody be sure to go out, go check out Two Geminis and a Leo, and Backwoods Brooms.
Tabitha: Yeah, yeah, thank you.
Kim: Okay, bye!
Tabitha: Bye!
Kim: So Tabitha, welcome to Patreon.
Tabitha: Thank you. *both laugh* *fade out*
Tabitha: *fade in* *both laughing* Were you even like siblings if you didn't like do shit like that as kids? Yeah, no.
Kim: I didn't do anything, I just.. didn't do anything. *laughs
Tabitha: Yeah, you just didn't do anything.
Kim: Yeah.
Tabitha: You didn't offer any like, "Hey, no, don't do that. No. Just figure it out for yourself." *fade out*
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