Hi, I’m Ella - your weird, witchy friend.

I’m a neuroatypical nerd with a decades-long interest in folklore and the occult who has been exploring witchiness and its intersection with self care, mental health, pleasure, and empowerment since 2020.

By day I’m a professional game writer and lover of storytelling in all forms, and by night I’m indulging my tarot hyperfixation by collecting decks and using them as a tool for self-reflection and mindfulness.Materia Magica - named after a Latin phrase meaning “magical materials” - is the home of my explorations into all these topics, looking at the mysterious and the magical in everything from game design to real people’s personal practices. It’s materia magica all the way down!

TAROT

By popular request, I am now offering tarot readings on my Ko-fi!For me, tarot is a tool for self-reflection, not a concrete illustration of the future. It’s also a fun way to shake up my brain if I’m stuck on something - why flip a coin when you can draw from a 78-card deck with an illustrious occult history?🔮 To read more about my attitude and approach to tarot, head over here.📚 To find out how getting a tarot reading from me works, go here.📜 Lastly, you can find my tarot terms and conditions here.

TAROT TO ME

For me, tarot is primarily a tool for self-reflection. The major and minor arcana in a standard deck of tarot cards both tell a story and encompass many of the themes we commonly encounter in life - so it makes sense we can find ourselves relating to them!I also believe there is a Rorschach-like element when we interpret tarot for ourselves and other people - as Rebecca Beattie says in her book The Way Through the Woods, “[...] in consulting tarot cards, I am not necessarily divining the future or consulting an external force, I am simply exploring my own unconscious. I am using the cards, rather like a storytelling device, to identify what is around me and within me, but which I may not be consciously aware of - yet.” (p. xii-xiii)For some people, tarot can be part of a wider spiritual practice, while for others it is a secular tool for mindfulness, creativity, and self exploration. Tarot scholars are people from all religious backgrounds and none - for example, I have met Christians who use tarot as part of a daily practice as well as those who believe “playing with tarot cards” could have caused a glass shower screen to shatter (funny story).Lastly, because of how my very neuroatypical brain works (I have anxiety, depression, OCD, and ASD rattling around in here), pulling some tarot cards for a problem I’m stuck on can help unstick me - it’s always fun to see what the RNG of the universe gives me and where it makes my mind go.

HOW IT WORKS

Simply head on over to my Ko-fi (and check out my tarot terms and conditions here)!For now, I’m keeping things simple and just offering one option: £10 gets you a spread of three cards or more (I might pull a clarifying card or two if I feel like the others warrant it) on a specific question or topic.I’ll get an image of your cards and put them into a PDF along with a written explanation which will be emailed to you within a couple of working days (probably sooner).Not sure what to ask about? Here are some suggestions!

  • General vibe check - A check in to see how you’re doing and what you could do next (good if you don’t know what else to go for)

  • Past/present/future - A classic entry into the tarot spread canon

  • Work - For musing on how to advance in your career, or whether you’re ready for a change altogether

  • Self care - What could you be doing to be kinder to yourself, nerd?

  • Relationships - Not as a prelude to any rash decisions, but a way to reflect on the way you interact with friends, family members, and partners

  • Character cards - Need to make a new TRPG character? Want to go deeper on an existing OC? This one’s for you!

  • Creative inspiration - Want a starting point for a story or new creative project? You can use tarot cards for that!

All readings are produced from start to finish by me. I thoroughly shuffle one of my own tarot decks, pull your cards at random, and interpret the results to the best of my knowledge and ability supported by years of personal notes and research. AI will be never be used in any part of your tarot reading - fuck AI.

TAROT TERMS

I consider myself to be pretty alright at giving advice but I have no professional training. I am not a therapist, and tarot is not a replacement for therapy (but it can be a fun supplement - I talk to my therapist about tarot cards but I would never take my deck’s advice over theirs!).Tarot is a form of self-reflective guidance, and should not be used to make important decisions about medical, legal, or financial matters, or anything else of equal severity - please seek professional advice in these instances.I will not do readings pertaining to medical issues (including fertility), legal matters, illegal activities, gambling, death, or the departed.I also will not do readings for other people without their consent - please consider gifting someone a tarot reading if you think they would enjoy it!I reserve the right to refuse any reading request at my discretion.Once payment has been made, no cancellations or refunds are offered.Tarot readings are provided for entertainment purposes only.