Sami Genevieve. Tarot, cats, and permission

 In this episode I'm talking to Sami, a tarot reader in New York. We talked about tarot, cats, and giving yourself permission.

Follow Sami on instagram! 

I also want to remind you that if you don't belong to Crepuscular Conjuration, you're missing out on a lot! Catch the bonus episodes, videos with guests, guided meditations, downloadable coloring pages, and a lot more, at crepuscularconjuration.com. $6.69 gets you into the Monthly Magic Marco Polo group and the private Crepuscular Conjurations facebook group. $11.11 is the real deal- both groups, plus TONS of digital content! Visit crepuscularconjuration.com today and join the Hive!

Transcript

Welcome back to Your Average Witch, where every Tuesday we talk about witch life, witch stories and sometimes a little witchcraft. Your Average Witch is brought to you by Crepuscular Conjuration. In this episode I'm talking to Sami, a tarot reader in New York. We talked about tarot, cats, and giving yourself permission. I also want to remind you that if you don't belong to Crepuscular Conjuration, you're missing out on a lot. Catch the bonus episodes, videos with guests, guided meditations, downloadable coloring pages and a lot more at crepuscularconjuration.com. $6.69 gets you into the monthly Magic Marco Polo group and the private Crepuscular Conjuration face book group, and the monthly spell. If you like angel numbers, $11.11 is the price you pay to get the real deal. Both social groups plus tons of digital content. Visit crepuscularconjuration.com today and join the hive. Now let's get to the stories.

Kim: Hi, Sami, welcome to the show.

Sami: Hi.

Kim: Can you please introduce yourself and let everybody know who you are and what you do and where they can find you?

Sami: Yeah, so my name's Sami, or Sami Genevieve. I am a tarot reader. I am currently getting my master's in creative writing.

Kim: Holy shit, that's cool!

Sami: And I'm working, thank you! I'm working on a novel about a witch. I also want to write children's books. I inspire kids to rescue cats, because cats.  I like writing poetry, like the tarot really kind of got me into witchcraft. We'll talk about that later. And I have an Instagram. Well, I have two, but my first one got hacked. But then I got it back.

Kim: Yay!

Sami: Yeah, that's like a whole other thing. But then I'm currently on my newer one. It's S-A-M-I-G-E-E-E-X-I-S-T. So Samigeeexist on Instagram. I'm probably, I'm gonna work on making like one for my writing and tarot but I guess you could follow my personal for now. Yeah.

Kim: You'll find the link to that in show notes.

Sami: Nice. I do have a tarot Instagram though that I have not updated in since probably 2020, but it's Bewitched by Sammy.

Kim: Nice.

Sami: Yeah. Will I update it? I don't know.

Kim: (laughs) Tune in to find out. Go follow her and see, it's an adventure.

Sami: It is. It might be once every two years, or it might be consistent, we don't know.

Kim: So what does it mean when you call yourself a witch?

Sami: For me, it's a word of empowerment. It's like a way to kind of like take control over like your own destiny, your own choices. It's like creating things. It's like almost like even like the term artist, where I feel like there's so much stigma behind them, where it's like people are afraid to call themselves an artist. But if you're creating art you're an artist. If you're making, doing spells, even if you're manifesting, if you're making dinner and you're putting love into it, you're a witch. Like you're putting your intentions into everything you do.

Kim: Yeah.

Sami: Yeah, and it's fun!

Kim: Yeah, otherwise I wouldn't do it. Cuz yeah, I'm a whore for some fun.

Sami: Yeah. I don't know.

Kim: Why do things come out of my mouth.

Sami: No no, it's fun! Like why not have fun? Like I don't know. I feel like life is too serious.

Kim: Do you have any family history with witchcraft, or any stories from childhood where, even if your family wouldn't say, Absolutely not, witches, how dare you? But they still do some real witchy shit.

Sami: Yeah, a lot of that. It's funny, I have it on both sides. So my paternal side, my great-grandmother used to read cards. I never got to meet her because she passed on. And my mother actually was always like, you know, your father's grandmother, Grossmutter, she was from Germany, always was this amazing fortune teller, for lack of a better word, that's what they use. And she's like, she would just know things about you, like she could read your palms, he leaves like anything, like she was just very intuitive and very prophetic. And then on my mother's side, they would have dreams that would come true. So like, it's like pretty like, and it's like-

Kim: That sounds terrifying.

Sami: Yeah, and it's like one of those things that like, we don't talk about, but we talk about, like, you know what I mean like it's like our new generation the new cousins are like all into it and like the older generation is just kind of like you know it's like like under the rug kind of thing.

Kim: We don't talk about that.

Sami: Yeah like it's like oh yeah you get them too, okay, and then like move on. It's like really funny. I mean and then like but it's cool because like now my cousins and I, we're all like, we're all interested in tarot, we're all talking to each other, we have this really cool kinship, so it's really fun. And then, yeah. 

Kim: That's awesome. 

Sami: Yeah, it's really cool. And then also when I was a kid, I just was obsessed with the idea of being a witch. I mean, my mom named me after, it's cool. I think. My mom named me after Samantha Stevens from Bewitched, so.

Kim: That's so neat!

Sami: Yeah, so literally, I was like, you created this, why would you name your daughter after a witch and then be freaked out when she's into this and has an obsession with cats? You don't name someone after a witch. And then also, I was born late too. She's a Taurus, and then her mother was a Taurus, and I was supposed to be a Taurus, but I came a month late, so I ended up a Gemini. So she never let me live that down, so then I was like, obviously, already as a young kid, I was hearing Gemini, like, oh, well, it's your Gemini, you're supposed to be a Taurus, whatever. So it kind of sparked that interest in astrology, because my family had a very loose interest in it but they would never go dive, like dive deeper.

Kim:  So are you a cusp baby, or you well into Gemini?

Sami: May 25th, so like a like two days into it. Two or three days, yeah.

Kim: Huh.

Sami: Yeah.

Kim: This is me pretending like I know what that means. (both laugh) Oh, I see. Theresa would know.

Sami: Teresa would, yeah, Teresa would know. We traced, actually I talked to Theresa about my mom's birth chart And Theresa is the reason I got my mom tarot cards. Well angel tarot cards. So now I make her pull a card for me

Kim: That's cool.

Sami: No, it is really cool, actually. It's like really rad to see her like get into it I got her the angel ones because like it's like a little softer.

Kim: Less scary?

Sami: Yeah, yeah. Because she'll get the devil and she'll be like, "Oh my god, the devil's coming!" And I'm like, no.

Kim: (laughing) I do understand what that one means.

Sami: I was literally like, so many times I'd be reading her cards and she's like, I don't think that's what that card means. And I would be like, so then you read your cards.

Kim: Yeah.

Theresa: Like, I will pay for you to get a reading with someone else. (Kim laughs) So we joke with one another. We have a very funny relationship. But yeah, but definitely getting her her own cards though has been really cool and it's kind of fun because we've been pulling cards for each other. So it's been like a-

Kim: I can't imagine doing that with my mom.

Sami: I couldn't've before. And now it's like really, I don't know, it's really cool. I'm like, huh. I don't know if I would have put that on my 2023 bingo card, pulling tarot cards with my mom. But totally.

Kim: I can only imagine. That makes me kind of want to give my mom some just to see what happens.

Sami: Honestly, you should. Get her the angel cards. They have little messages on them because then so like because they say like little keywords and then she'll look at it.

Kim: Oooo, I'm gonna have to do that just for experimentation's sake.

Sami: Her method though, she has you pick a number and she counts out the card. So I was like okay 60 and she's like you're gonna make me count 60...

Kim: Go backwards. Just go backwards through the bottom.

Sami: It's like, how many is in the deck? I'm like, I think it's 70.

Kim: It's different deck, I don't know what that deck is.

Sami: Yeah, like, I just read them. I'm like, the math part just goes out of my head.

Kim: I don't know numbers, what are you talking about? That's me.

Sami: Yeah, that's me too. Stay, sir. Thank you.

Kim: So can you share a little bit of your practice? Like, what is it like? Do you have any daily or consistent things that you do as part of your practice?

Sami: Yeah, like what I started doing is glamour magic. So when I put my makeup on, I started writing affirmations in my foundation before I blend it in. And like, I feel like it really helps. And I really have been into just focusing more and taking off my makeup, putting on lotion, putting on makeup, little things like that. So I find that's when I have time to kind of be a little more mindful about what I'm doing. And I feel like also it's infused in my skin.

Kim: Yeah.

Sami: So I like that. I like that it's like, so if I forget to put on a necklace or something, because I am very chaotic, like that, or if I forget to do a protection spell, or try to imagine white light around me, at least I know I have it written on my face, even if no one else can see it.

Kim:  Yeah.

Sami: So it's cool.

Kim: I used to do stuff like that when I left the house.

Sami: Really? It's cool, it's cool!

Kim: When I left- sometimes I leave my house still. But when I went to a job regularly, I would do things like that because yeah, I can't think of that constantly. It's exhausting!

Sami: Yeah. Exactly. I'm like, I guess I tracked it like I gotta go here. I gotta go there. I gotta do this. I gotta do that like I'll forget. I will, I'll remember after the fact. I'm like, oh, right. That was what I was supposed to do.

Kim: How would you say witchcraft has changed your life?

Sami: Definitely for the better. I mean, I was always, always interested. My mom took me to get my first deck when I was 16. And my friends at the time, one of my friends, I should say, was a little like that's silly. And it's a lot to learn and I don't think I was... like ready for it too. But I had the deck and I remember I would pull and I was reading it, whatever, but I was also trying to learn how to read palms and I was trying to do everything at once, which I do not recommend. I recommend picking one thing to start, and then going to everything else. Don't try to learn everything at once. You'll just overwhelm yourself and then learn nothing. Or you learn a little bit. So anyways, so I had this deck just hanging around, and it was always with me. And I even had a tarot journal that I started at 16 and never finished. And then what happened was, fast forward to when I was 20, I ended up getting Reiki done, completely opened me up. It was a very spiritual, I like to think it was one of my first spiritual awakenings. Because prior to this, I was having some dreams that would come true, nothing crazy, just little mundane things. I would just remember something would happen in the dream and then it would happen in real life. I even dreamt about my first breakup. That was like-

Kim: That's a terrible thing to dream about. 

Sami: It was, it was awful. I woke up heartbroken, I even told my then boyfriend and he laughed at me. And he was like, I would never do that. I was like, okay, whatever. And then when it happened, it took all of me not to be like Told you!

Kim: You shoulda!

Sami: I shoulda, but it's okay.

Kim: Are you sure you wanna break up? I did predict this...

Sami: I did.

Kim: What else can I make happen.

Sami: Exactly.

Kim: Don't cross me, son. 

Sami: Right?

Kim: And that's how we get burnt. (laughs)

Sami: Exactly. Don't don't fuck with a witch! Like, just don't fuck with a witch, but it's fine. We were totally meant to break up. Because what happened was I got reiki done, he broke up with me that day. Literally, I texted him like, look, I'm ready. Like, I'm here to be the best girlfriend ever. Like, whatever. Like, and then he was like, basically our paths aren't gonna cross or whatever. I was like, I don't know what that means. And then, but it worked out. I think for both of us, like, I don't think, like, we were definitely karmic, but I think it was better for both of us, we were meant to be together when we were and we were meant to separate when we did. But I was so heartbroken, I literally, and the Reiki guy was like, if you're interested in something, you're meant to look into it, you're meant to study it. I was like, okay, I've always been interested in the tarot, I have the deck there, so I didn't have to buy anything. It was literally just sitting in my room. I picked it up and in a month I was reading my friends. And then it started with reading me and then I was reading family members and I was reading my friends. Then my friend had this party where we had this big kickback and we just invited a bunch of random people over and I just read them all night.

Kim: Cool.

Sami: Yeah, it was really cool. I was like, look, I'm still learning, so take everything, you know? And everyone said I did really good. So that was definitely a confidence booster. And it just kind of propelled from there. And then a friend of a friend started recommending me, and then I just started reading for people. And it just happened. So yeah.

Kim: That's very fateful.

Sami: Yeah, it was like super, super fateful. And I really do believe I was meant to learn when I did, because I don't think I could have handled it when I was a teenager. I think I had to go through those lessons to be the reader I am today.

Kim: That makes sense. Being a teenager is a nightmare.

Sami: Oh, it totally sucks. I mean, it's fun, but it sucks. Like the high-

Kim: All those hormones, freaking- I don't like it.

Sami: I know, and I had cystic acne, so it was like even worse. And like, but it was fine. I was just, whatever. I was like mostly just listening to like, Fall Out Boy and like writing Pete Wynn's quotes all over Tumblr.

Kim: What would you say is the biggest motivator in your practice and has it changed since you first started?

Sami: Yeah, when I first started, I don't know if there was really a motivator other than distraction. Because like it started with the tarot. And like I literally was like, I mean, I was interested in it. And like, I was like, very devout, like, once I devoted myself into and I was meditating and doing it, it was like I was in it. But like my motivation in the beginning was definitely more like frivolous. Like it was just kind of like, we'll see what happens.

Kim: Well, we don't really, most teenagers don't really get how big the world is and how much of an impact we can have. So yeah, I mean, it makes sense that we're figuring out who we are and having fun with it.

Sami: Yeah, absolutely. And I think at that point, I had this weird fantasy of living in a Volkswagen Beetle with three cats and just driving around, reading cards, which I didn't know how to do at the time, and just painting. And I was like, that's what-

Kim:  That sounds badass!

Sami: I was like, it's so cool, but I am not that person. I love comfort.

Kim: Yeah, I'm watching van life, but I don't want to live that.

Sami: I have friends who did the RV thing, and I love watching their journey. It was so cool. But I'm like, I want to travel. I want to travel and see things, but then I want to come home and be with my cat.

Kim: Snug:

Sami: Yeah.

Kim: That's the Taurus easing into your life.

Sami: My Taurus Venus.

Kim: Yeah.

Sami: My Taurus Venus that's like screaming like, no. The Gemini is like, I want to go explore.

Kim: We want snuggly!

Sami: Only with my cats though. Like other than that, like if I don't like you, I'm like, don't touch me.

Kim: Yeah. What would you say is the biggest struggle when it comes to your practice?

Sami: Consistency, for sure, and balance. I feel like that's like, especially when you have like your everyday life, like you have homework, you have like work, you have like even just like deep cleaning cat litter and doing chores, like cleaning sheets and laundry, and I feel like the balance of everything and realizing you don't always have to do grand things to be practicing. That was something that took me forever to learn. It could be just as simple as writing in a journal with a candle lit. You don't have to always, and it's beautiful to cast a circle. It's beautiful to create an environment where you really put all your intentions into it and you create a ritual out of it, but I think there's time and place for ritual. I mean, I should say grand ritual, because anything could be a ritual. Having your coffee in the morning could be a ritual, if you allow it to be, and it doesn't have to be always taking up our space.

Kim: Ceremonial.

Sami: Yeah, and I think that was the biggest thing, because I always want to do things extravagant, but then I'm like, I don't have the energy for this. And it's better for me to just write down the shit that's bothering me than to be like, and then when I have the energy, do a cut the cord. But at least start it. And I find that if I do that, I have more energy. Because it's like you're releasing.

Kim: That's nice.

Sami: Yeah, I don't know. Consistency and balance, those would be my biggest.

Kim: Do you ever feel like you have imposter syndrome or self-doubt about your witchcraft? And if you do, what do you do?

Sami: Oh, for sure! I mean, sometimes I'm like, I second-guess myself or I think, does this even work? But then I think about the moments it does work. And then I also think about, I listen to a lot of, I'll put it on people talking, especially artists that I like, I'll listen to a lot of interviews. And I feel like you learn a lot. And I feel like a lot of people do talk about imposter syndrome. Even Neil Gaiman, who wrote Coraline, said he has imposter syndrome. And I'm like, if Neil Gaiman has imposter syndrome and can overcome it, like, I think I'll be fine.

Kim: Right? (laughs) It's always baffling when I hear people that I idolize say yes, and I'm like, what?

Sami: Yeah, I'm like, you?

Kim: What universe...

Sami: Do you ever have it?

Kim: Hell yeah! I have it right this second. I'm like, I probably look like some kind of a freak weirdo on this video that people don't usually get to see. You get to see me do weird fidgety shit, use the lip balm 9,000 times through this one interview, playing with this rock.

Sami: Oh, I have like my lip gloss here. I have like, I literally thought, I'm like, what am I going to do with my hands?

Kim: Mhmmm.

Sami: But I think that's why I have the tea thing.

Kim: I have blue chalcedony, and it's tumbled, so it's really smooth, and it's like a good texture.

Sami: I love that.

Kim: (laughing) I don't know why this is the way I am.

Sami: It's okay. I mean, like, part of me is also like, who the fuck am I to be interviewed? I don't know.

Kim: You're a witch! Everybody wants to know about other people's lives, man. That's why I started this, because I am nosy.

Sami: It's true, and also, like, Gossip Girl did really sell.

Kim: What brings you the most joy in your practice?

Sami: Oh, well, like, for me, personally, when I'm doing a, like, it's that feeling of release, and, like, when you feel like you can accomplish anything, or, like, you just sent something out in the universe and you're going to get it back. But then on a grander level, if I'm giving a reading to someone and I can tell that it really resonated with them and it's going to help guide them onto the path that will bring them to their highest self, that's the best feeling ever when someone leaves feeling overjoyed and excited and inspired for life. That's probably the best feeling.

Kim: That's so cool. What is something that you did early on in your practice that you don't do anymore and why don't you do it? 

Sami: I think like it would go back to maybe like trying to commit to things that were just not like feasible. Like a grand morning routine when I am not a morning person. Like...

Kim: No. Not for me.

Sami: Like for me, 10 a.m. is early. I don't know why, I would be like, I'm going to get up, I'm gonna do yoga, I'm gonna have a cup of tea, I'm gonna meditate, I'm gonna pull a card, I'm gonna do X, Y, Z all before 10 a.m. And it's like, no, like, no, that's never going to happen. It'll happen one day. And yeah, you might feel great that day, but that's not realistic. It's more realistic-

Kim: Then I feel guilty for the rest of the week because I can't do it again.

Sami: Yeah, exactly. So like, for me, it's just like, kind of like incorporating practice into my life rather than forcing it into my life, I think.

Kim: Highly recommend that. Make it your normal, but in a way that is feasible.

Sami: And I'm still learning. I still struggle with it at times, and I've been doing, probably, practicing for eight years. But I think I've been always kind of low-key, having my own rituals and doing things ever since I was a kid. I don't know. We're creatures of habit.

Kim: What would you say is your favorite tool in your practice? And it doesn't have to be a physical object. It can be like an idea or a thought process or something. And how do you use it?

Sami: Two things. One of them would definitely be my tarot cards. Though I'm trying to not move away from them, but I'm trying not to let them become a crutch, because I think I'm relying on them a little too much, because lately, but the other thing would be is, and I learned this from a counselor, is when you feel very, very overwhelmed, or very stressed, or you need to calm yourself down, you envision your body on fire, and you envision a waterfall of water coming down and cooling you off.

Kim: I have not heard that one before.

Sami: Yeah, and I've been waiting tables forever. I've always been in the restaurant business and before that I was doing hair. I've always been doing stuff that can get very stressed. So when you have 10 tables and nothing's going the way it goes and you just need to like think. I envision myself on fire and water coming down and it's like I get the clarity to just do what I gotta do, you know.

Kim: I'm gonna test that.

Sami: Try it. I, I love it.

Kim: Huh, I'm gonna have to test that out. This is a question that wasn't on there, I don't think. Can you pick out one decision that you've made that changed the entire course of your life?

Sami: Yeah, I can. And I can even tell you where I was when I made the decision. I'll never forget it. I was working a restaurant job, and I loved my coworkers there. They were great people, but it was a very toxic environment. I was working doubles. I felt like I wasn't being appreciated. I just felt kind of stagnant. I think I was in the bathroom, and it dawned on me. I was like, you know, I could just, I grew up on Long Island, like New York, so this is on Long Island, New York. And I was like, I could just move to California. Like, I don't have to be here. And I like, in that moment, I remember, I was like, I'm just gonna do it, because like, I don't have any ties, you know? So then I like, four or five months later, I moved to San Diego.

Kim: Hell yeah!

Sami: And it was fun. So yeah, I just like realized, like, you know, I was like, I could just move if I want to. Like, I don't have to like stay here. I ended up coming back to New York, but like, that's because I want, like, you know, my life brought me back. But like, yeah, you could just do whatever you want. Like, I don't know.

Kim: Yup. That's how we ended up in Arizona. Just one day we were like- what if we just moved there? (laughs)

Sami: I feel like moving is like that  It's just like, wait, I could just do that. 

Kim: And people think you can't. It's like, there's so many reasons that I couldn't do it. Yeah, but what if you just did? Just do it. 

Sami: Like, literally, what's the worst thing happens, you come back? You're already here, why not try there. You always come back. Maybe that's a very privileged thing to say, but...

Kim: Yeah, I was thinking well, you could be, end up homeless. But...

Sami: Yeah. but like I don't know I feel like if it's an inspired thought. It's inspired to get you to where you want to be. Cuz like, I don't like, I moved there without a job and I was living in a month a month and I found a job in like two days. 

Kim: Terrifying.

Sami: Yeah I didn't think it was. I was I guess like I was waiting tables I was like they'll need a, like you know, I mean like... 

Kim: I don't have a skill that transports well.

Sami: Yeah like I had a very transferable skill. So I was like, fuck it, I can get a waiting job. I come back, you know, and I, whatever. Yeah, like, I don't know, I don't think it's like, I mean, even I was like, you know, worst case, I get a retail job til I find something, but I just, I went on, I don't even know when I went, I went online, House of Blues was hiring, and I just ended up working there. And it worked out, I was like, I don't have to flip my nose ring. Like this is great. I got colored hair. I got tattoos Yeah, I was like, this is so cool.

Kim: Yeah, I like places that let you be who you are.

Sami: Yeah, it's so stupid especially like as a waitress. I'm like, why do I need to look a certain way to bring you food?

Kim: How professional do I need to be to bring you some more tea.

Sami: Like, exactly. Like, I understand if you want my hair to be like back, and you want to look like neat and like, you know, hygiene wise, but like what is piercings and tattoos and colored hair have to do with, like, it shouldn't affect you. If it's affecting you...

Kim: Transporting food.

Sami: Yeah, and taking an order. Like if my earrings are-

Kim: If I'm in a drive-through you can't even see me, who cares, let me do what I want. 

Sami: Exactly. Like, what do you care? Like, I don't know.

Kim: How do you pull yourself out of a magical slump?

Sami: That is a really good question. I find like being kind to myself because if you're like, I feel like depression is slippery slope and anxiety and the more you don't do something, the more depressed you're gonna feel about it and the more anxious you're gonna feel about it and it's hard and even something like, I try to do yoga, I haven't done yoga in months, but I wanna get back into it and I think it's just a matter of being like, I'm gonna do it at my own pace, and I'm not gonna, like, hold yourself accountable, but not beat yourself up if you skip a day. And finding alternatives. Like, why am I not doing this? Maybe it's not feasible for me anymore. Maybe I need to do something else.

Kim: So, is there anything that you wish was discussed more in the witch community?

Sami: Maybe how hard it is to show up for yourself, and also manifestation. I feel like people talk about manifestation, it's like you write it in your journal and it comes true, and that is true, but... 

Kim: It's a very elementary way of looking at it.

Sami: Right, looking at it. Like yeah, that's a part of it, but you also have to put so much energy into it, you have to put so much intention into it. And I don't know, I just wish they would acknowledge, because I have manifested plenty, like I've manifested plenty of things in my life that were unexplainable. And I'm like, there, where it was definitely a correlation. But I feel like in terms of, it depended on where I was at. Like if I'm in a high vibe and things are going my way, of course I'm gonna manifest things with ease. But if I'm in a depressive episode and everything is fucking shit, it's hard to see yourself succeeding. So it really is a strength and power to be able to see yourself at your best self when you're at your worst self. And knowing that you're still worthy at your worst self. I just wish they'd talk about that more, I guess. That it's not a one, two, three.

Kim: Holy crap. That's so much for me to consider right now. 

Sami: I'm sorry. I think it's how I've been going through shit. I'm so frustrated because I've manifested things. I've manifested, I even manifested a scholarship that really helped me and I need that right now and I'm trying to dig back to if I did it then I could do it again. But it's like I have to get back in that mindset of just blind faith and power and believing and it's hard. It's really hard. Like it's really hard and like, it's doable and I know I'm going to do it, it's just I wish like people would acknowledge, like treat manifestation more like, I don't know, like compliment people on it more than like whatever. Or maybe it is like whatever, you manifested. Like maybe that's the energy, I don't know.

Kim: Oh, we can't go back, I don't, we can't go back.

Sami: I don't know, I have no idea. I just want a scholarship.

Kim: (laughs) Someone give me a grant!

Sami: Seriously, give me a full ride. Like I got good grades. I'm dedicated. I'm hardworking. Like, come on. I got cats to feed. They're expensive.

Kim: Exactly. (laughs) Think about the three biggest influences on your practice. It does not have to be people. It can be like a book or a TV show or a pet or an idea that someone talked about, like a theory. Think about your three biggest ones and thank them for how they influence your life.

Sami: I think like definitely my cats, like, or animals in general. Like I love animals a lot, so, and I'm very grateful for them. And I think they enchant life because they just make life better. It's like, even if you're in the city and a random pigeon just goes by you and it's like, oh, pigeon. Like, I don't know. That would be one. Secondly, I think that just maybe human interacting, like talking to people and having, where someone says something and they don't even realize how profound they're being. And then it's like the catalyst to get you to live your best life or you to do something that will help inspire you. I think that would be number two. I think number three would be books. And I mean, obviously books about magic and spiritualism, but also just fun witchy books. I feel like it's just fun to read stuff and get lost in worlds of fantasy. Because I feel like that's where a lot of, anything could happen in a book, anything can happen in a movie, anything could happen in a TV show. I mean like in Coraline, just because it's all on top of my head, she goes through the other door and she meets the other mother and it's just so, and the cat can go in between realms. It's like really cool. Like I don't know. Yeah. 

Kim: How would you say those things influence your practice?

Sami:  I think that animals make me more grateful and more mindful that there's beings here and there's energy around us always. Even if you're not feeling good and your cat puts their paw on you, it's the sweetest little thing ever. That's absolutely one of them. Secondly, I would think for people, I feel like people are so inspiring when they're not trying to be. When people are authentically themselves, like I think that helps your practice because if you're authentic in your practice, you're authentic in your life and it kind of all just coincides. And I feel like authentic people find authentic people and like it just, like energy attracts energy. Like vibes attract vibes. And I do believe that and I think that like just like as long as you show up for yourself, even if you're not your best self, like if you're just still authentic to yourself, you're still authentic. So like, and then, what was the third thing I said? Oh, fantasy and books and stuff. I just think it makes life more fun. It just makes your practice more fun. Like look at this wand, like if you have a wand, and it's like a magical wand. I don't know, I was the kid that wanted to live in those worlds. Like, I don't know if you remember the show Dragon Tales? So like, I was convinced that like, whatever you saw on TV, you could make happen for real. So, and I had this book on fairies, and like, it's a really, really cool book. Actually, I'll grab it in a sec, but anyways. I forgot how we found this out. I have a younger brother and in the show there's the older sister and the younger brother. So I was like, I have the formula.

Kim: (laughs) Science!

Sami:  and then I don't know how I found this out, but I found you know, if you throw rocks some of them break into crystals I Don't know how I discovered that so I would make my brother throw rocks on cement and that's looking for crystals and some of them would be crystals and then we would say the chant and I would make him say the chant over and over and over again till it was like perfect until we would go and I would get so upset that we weren't like taken to Dragon Tales.

Kim: (laughing) I would love to know his version of this.

Sami: I would too actually I should ask that he like says like oh yeah she always made up these games I would have us playing and stuff. And he would always throw a wrench in my plans, though, you know, because he was like my little brother.

Kim: That's what they do.

Sami:  Yeah, exactly. I'd be making a potion in the back to do something and he would take the dog's poop and put it in it. And I would get so angry. I'd be like, bro, you're ruining my vibe. I'm doing this thing and I need you to stop. But yeah, I should ask him like what like more specifically about the games because he has kids now and he's like yeah There's something like Stella is so imaginative like we were, she's always making up games like you used to do. It was like it's so sweet, so yeah It's funny though, but yeah, I would literally make my brother throw rocks until we found crystals.

Kim:  Good for you. 

Sami: Thank you.

Kim: Delegate.

Sami: Right? Very good delegating. I was helping him too, don't get me wrong. I was right there with him. You know, more people throw rocks, the faster chance of getting the crystal rock. I just wanted to go to Dragon Tales. Like, I don't think that's that hard of a wish.

Kim: (laughs) What advice do you have for new witches?

Sami: Take it easy, like take it slow. I would say start small. Start with something that you know you can incorporate. Maybe enchant your perfume, if you wear perfume, with intentions. I feel like if you do something, at least for me, picking one thing to do overall, like if I enchant the perfume, then every time I wear the perfume, it's already enchanted. So I don't have to remember to do it every time. But then pick something that you're gonna do every time. Like if you're putting on your makeup, then maybe start drawing little side heels or something. Those are very glamory. But it doesn't have to be perfume or makeup. You could do that with anything. It could be with your coffee, it could be with your water, it could be like anything, like maybe a jacket you always put on.

Kim: One thing I, oh, I didn't think of actual clothing. Holy crap!

Sami: I just thought of clothing now. 

Kim: Well, when I, when I used to have to put on scrubs to go to work every day, so I would spray something on the scrubs every morning and say, bad out, good in. Because even though I mean I wash my clothes, but it's not a magical washing machine. I mean I could enchant it I guess, I could do that. It didn't even occur to me until now. But that helped me, it was something that I did every morning before I went to work to help me have a better day. 

Sami: I totally got that especially like working with food like you wash clothes for like, I mean you're not gonna wash your apron every single, after every single shift. It's just not, like I have multiple aprons.

Kim:  Yeah. 

Sami: But like if you had like a very slow lunch shift and you barely use it. 

Kim: Yeah, why would you?

Sami: Yeah. But like it's still, I feel like you have to spray it. Cause like, I don't know.

Kim:  Freshness?

Sami:  Yeah.

Kim: Who do you think would be entertaining to to have on the show to answer these questions and talk to me the way I am?

Sami: You're really cool to talk to. One of my best friends, she's very witchy, she's very, very talented. She does hypnotherapy and stuff. She's really cool. Her name's Cabri. And then I actually just at Katie's, I was reading cards at Katie's on Friday and I met this other psychic medium, Bianca Rose. I'm not sure if she's been on the show, but she was really fun to talk to too. Like she's really cool. Yeah, I would say those two like off the top of my head, but there's like so many people, like, I don't know.

Kim: Is there anything else that you wanted to talk about? Anything I didn't ask you that you specifically wanted to discuss, or did you have any questions for me?

Sami: Um, I don't... what are your chickens names? (Kim bursts out laughing) I've been thinking about this the whole interview.

Kim: Okay so we have a rooster his name is Atreides because that's the best last name I've ever heard in my entire life. Thank you, Frank Herbert, even though you're kind of a creep. Atreides is a magnificent name, and if I, for some reason, am not married to my husband anymore, I will become an Atreides. Mark my words. He's great.

Sami: Hey, you could change your name now!

Kim: I don't- I think it would hurt his feelings.

Sami: Oh, gotcha.

Kim: Also, don't change your last name, women, because guess who has to deal with a bunch of bullshit when you're going to do your real ID? I'm on my third marriage. Do you know how many marriage and divorce certificates I have to find? Who keeps track of that? Not me. Anyway.

Sami: No, child of divorce, like my mom has told me, like, it actually-

Kim: It's a misery. Men don't have to deal with that.

Sami: Well, she forgot to change her like last name on her social security. So that worked out for her that was one last thing. Oh yeah and then she found out her mom spelled her name wrong on her birth certificate.

Kim: ME TOO! They put an E before the Y! What? No! 

Sami:  they forgot the e after Joanne!

Kim: What is that?  What, maybe who typed it.

Sami: I don't know, because I found birth like baby photos and my name Samantha is spelled wrong on them.

Kim: What is happening? 

Sami: I don't know.

Kim: Post partum. It's hormones. I don't know. Then there's Packers won the Super Bowl, who is named after a Mystery Science Theater 3000 joke. There's the Rock who is just a... What is she? What are those chickens that are black and white? (*Edit: The Rock is a Barred Rock!) Whatever. If you know about chickens, you'll you'll know what it is. I don't remember right this second, but she's named the Rock because that's her breed. Then there's Mabel, which I don't know, Ken named her, she's his chicken. Then there's Britches, who is one of the new chickens. That's just, I don't know, I like dumb words for pets. One of my cats is named Sardine, but we call her Eggy. I don't know. (laughs) Mabel, The Rock, Britches, there's a brown one that we have not named yet. Throw out names, people in the audience, listeners, whatever. Message, tell me a name. Packers won the Supe- Packers, we just call Packers, by the way, don't say her full name unless she's in trouble. (laughs) And then there's Penny and Patty, who are like twins almost, and they're from the same clutch, and also Plum. And those three all have like little crests because their father, El Capitan, was a raging asshole. And that's why he is no longer with us, because you only get to attack me so many times.

Sami: Solid.

Kim: We ate him. But he made beautiful babies. Atreides is his offspring, and so are Penny, Patty, and Plum. And they're very nice, well-behaved chickens. Everybody's great. Nobody attacks me. It's great, wonderful.

Sami: That's awesome. Hendrix...

Kim: Maybe I'll post a picture of them.

Sami: See Hendrix should be grateful I'm a vegan because he hits me at night sometimes.

Kim: Rude!

Sami: I know, and I'm like, Sir! But then he's so sweet. Other times you're like, alright. Like, I don't know if anyone knows those things where it's like boy cat with their cat mom. Like, he is like Ultra, like, mama's boy. Like, he follows me around, he does like- I can't even shower without him crying.

Kim: Aww! Ken's cat is like that.

Sami: They're very sweet. But yeah, no.

Kim: He doesn't really have any use for me, but Ken's cat loves Ken.

Sami: Like yeah, but like yeah the hitting thing. He should be grateful.

Kim: We call it the baps.

Sami: But it hurts! The baps?

Kim: Yeah, BAP BAP BAP!

Sami: He goes like, I'm like, sir. And I fell asleep FaceTiming Capri and he didn't do it. I'm like, so you don't do it on camera.

Kim: What a jerk. (laughs) I can't leave any evidence!

Sami: He's so slick about it, you know.

Kim: Okay, so the last two things that I ask. Thing number one, please recommend something, anything, doesn't have to be related, whatever thing you're excited about this week, recommend that to the listeners. 

Sami: I'm like so boring. Like this week. I'm really just super excited to like read a book and just stay in my pajamas. That's a thing. I recommend that. I think I rec I recommend that or watching movie. Just do something like super low-key and chill. Oh, and like pizza. Because yeah.

Kim: What kind?

Sami: Well, it's like complicated because I'm vegan, but you get whatever pizza you like. I've been obsessed with this new thing though, because my mom works at a restaurant on Long Island, so they'll just make the pizza for me without cheese. I've been getting spinach, garlic, spinach, garlic, mushrooms, and hot honey, and red pepper flakes. It is so good. Like I'm obsessed with it.

Kim: Is there a sauce?

Sami: Red sauce.

Kim: Red?

Sami: Yeah, red sauce, sorry.

Kim: I have to know all these details soI can create it in my head.

Sami: Yeah, like a red tomato sauce that's like homemade and spinach, it's like a family restaurant. Yeah, like this restaurant, my mom's worked for it, the grandfather, the father, and now the daughter. Like, they've been around since like ever. So yeah, like it's really, really good. Yeah, I highly recommend it.

Kim: Thanks.

Sami:  Yeah, I wish, they have like a sesame seed crust but I can't get it because they use egg whites but if you're not vegan, totally get that sesame seed crust and I've been told it tastes really good with cheese.

Kim: I would think.

Sami: Yeah.

Kim: It would. It's cheese.

Sami: So, yeah, like, and I've had it with vegan cheese before, which I found, like, at Whole Foods and I was like, it's pretty good. But I get it either or. So, yeah, I was, yeah, pizza.

Kim: Hell yes. Dammit, I don't have the car today. It's not, I can't go get pizza. Maybe I'll make one, I have a crust in the fridge. 

Sami: Oh my god, totally make it.

Kim:  Thing number two is, please tell me a story.

Sami: Like any story?

Kim: Yup.

Sami: I have a funny story, actually, and it includes my cat Dylan that just passed. So, like, I guess I'll, like, honor her. So, Dylan and Hendrix were, are litter mates. And when I got there-

Kim: So you like rock and roll? 

Sami: Yeah, so actually that friend that's been like, that liked Taylor Swift named Hendrix, and I named Dylan after Bob Dylan. So I do love Jimi Hendrix, but like, I'm not as big, I feel bad, because I'm not like a huge Hendrix fan. Like I like put him on, but I don't know any of his, like other than like Purple Haze and stuff, whatever.

Kim: Yeah, everybody knows that one, and the flag song. What is that called? 

Sami: I feel like one of those, like, yeah, I know, like take God Bless America, I don't know. But I feel like one of those girls, or one of those people that wear the band shirt and they don't know the band, it's like you named your cat, but I didn't name him. Well, this is what happened.

Kim: You know what, I'm not gonna gatekeep Jimmy Hendrix at you, so it's fine.

Sami: Thank you, thank you. So anyway, when I was 17, my friend's cat had two litter, like both his cats had a litter each, so he had 24 kittens in his house. So like literally after school, I would like, I'd run over there and just hang out with all these cats. So there was like 26 cats total, a dog, and I think two chickens. Like it was super rad. And this was like a small house too. It's like your average Long Island house. They have a normal backyard. This isn't anything like-

Kim: It's not a mansion.

Sami: It's not a mansion and it's not a farm or anything, you know, whatever. But yeah, so I would just go over and hang out with these cats. And then Dylan and Hendrix started, my friend would be with me, whatever, and we're hanging out with them. And I said to my mom, I'm like, mom, can I please take one? She's like no you already have a cat and a dog We're probably gonna move because like they're getting divorced whatever I was like okay, so then um yeah I don't know I just put them I had like a baby crib that I used to put a doll in when I was a kid. So I just put them in that and I brought them to my room. They were living in my closet for two weeks. And my friend was supposed to take in Hendrix, but then her mom was like, no, absolutely not. So I was supposed to hold onto him until, but he became my cat and whatever. And then also him and Dylan were so bonded, you couldn't separate them. But yeah, anyway, so literally, one time my mom came into the room, Dylan came out of the couch where she was hiding, and my mom is like, because my mom needed me to do the lint roller, and I'm doing the lint roller, and I see Dylan, and she turns around, Dylan runs back behind the couch, and I thought I was going to get caught, but I didn't. I painted their names in my closet to justify, like we had to keep them, because I painted their names in the closet. It was very chaotic. And then, apparently, I found out, when I was at school, because I was in high school, my mom was hearing pitter patter and she looked and saw the dog downstairs and my other cat downstairs and she thought it was ghosts. Like she did not recognize it.

Kim: Not rats- ghosts.

Sami: Not rats, no. Ghosts. She's like, so then I come home from school and she goes, Sam, I think you're right. Because I've been saying the house was haunted since I was a kid. Like I was always adamant that that house is haunted and She literally was like, you know, I think you're at like I'm sorry that I didn't believe you like I hear that. So real. and she's like I'm so sorry like I can't believe we have ghosts like I swear I I'm like I wasn't even like I wasn't even drunk like I just because she like likes to have a glass of wine after work She's like I didn't even have wine yet. And then they wonder why and the way I So I'm like, oh my god. I told you this house is haunted! like totally like just going along with it and then like eventually she found out and And then she thought I took in like more than two cuz I was like I love them, and she was like them? So she thought I had like 20 cats. But it was just a cute idea. 

Kim: And they're just like hidden throughout the house? 

Sami: They were just in my room. I just kept them in my room. You know how cute they were if you thought you had a bunch. You know, she wouldn't put it past me and honestly have five of them hiding in my room. And now everyone is like, they're always like, Sam, don't bring home a cat, like, blah, blah, blah. And now it's like I'm branded with bringing home animals, because it did happen again. But this time it was during COVID, it was an accident. I didn't mean to take in Suki. She jumped in my cousin's car and then became my cat. (both laugh)

Kim: I had no choice! 

Sami: I had no choice. She literally jumped into my life, I had no choice. I had no choice. She literally jumped into my life and I'm like, alright. She went from literally, talk about manifestation story, that cat went from living on the streets to like having a bed. 

Kim: Good for that cat.

Sami: She went from the streets of Florida to like New York. So I'm like, good for you, girlie. You go, girl. 

Kim: Holy crap.

Sami: Yeah, she's living her best life. She's got tunnels to run in... She's doing good. She gets to steal my stuff all the time, it's great excellent 

Kim: Awesome. 

Sami: Yeah, so um I guess moral of the story if you take in an animal and you hide them in your room your parents will think they're ghosts, and that's how you can get like your animals.

Kim:  20 cats.

Sami: 20 cats.

Kim:  Well, thank you for being on the show. 

Sami: Thank you for having me. This was fun. 

Kim: Oh, yay. So, everybody, be sure to check out the show notes to go follow Sami in all places. And I will see you on the Internet. Bye!

Sami: Bye.

Kim: Sami.

Sami: Oh, sorry. Hi. Oh! Bye. 

Kim: Welcome to Hive House! 

Sami: Oh, Hi!

Kim: We're here!

Sami: We made it! (fades out) (fades in) ...toxic.

Kim: What five things are you gonna grab to bring with you on your adventure? Which is unspecified- just "an adventure".

Sami: I instinctively want to grab my cats, but I feel like I don't want them to get hurt. So I will not take them.

Kim: (bursts out laughing) Imagine that trip!

Sami: Not on that trip!

Kim: 2 vampires, a child with like, powers and shit, and like thought processes that are not like ours... (both laughing) and cats! (fades out)

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