Rest is resistance, and grief deserves time and space. Meet That Witch Karena.
In the latest episode of Your Average Witch podcast, I had the privilege of speaking with Karina, known online as That Witch Karena. Our conversation delved deep into the intersections of grief, witchcraft, and personal empowerment in ways that challenged conventional thinking about what it means to be a witch in today's world.
Karena's definition of witchcraft stands apart from many mainstream interpretations. For her, being a witch fundamentally means rejecting patriarchal systems and examining internalized misogyny. She eloquently stated, "I believe in things like harm reduction... I believe that sex workers should have unions and be seen as working-class people." This political framing of witchcraft as resistance against oppressive systems offers a refreshing perspective that connects ancient practices to modern social justice movements.
The concept of rest as resistance emerged as a powerful theme throughout our conversation. As Karena noted, "Rest is resistance, and it's a big form of witchcraft." In a capitalist society that values constant productivity, choosing rest becomes a radical act of self-preservation and boundary-setting. This idea particularly resonates in how Karena approaches grief work with her clients, creating space for people to process their emotions outside the demands of productivity culture.
Perhaps most compelling was Karena's discussion of grief as both her greatest motivator and her biggest struggle. Having lost all her grandparents by age 16 and both parents by 32, Karena's personal experience with profound loss informed her coaching practice. She observed that millennials have experienced compound grief through personal losses, global events, and rapid societal changes, yet often without proper grief rituals. "We lost a lot of our grief rituals," she explained. "People were like get over it, let's go. Capitalism needs us."
What makes Karena's approach to grief work unique is her framing of it as shadow work and alchemy. Rather than trying to "fix" grief or rush through it, she encourages clients to invite it in, transmuting difficult emotions into something beautiful. "I am grieving because I loved and I loved hard," she shared, "and my grief deserves time and space, and I can feel sadness with that, but I can also feel joy with that." This balanced perspective allows for a more holistic healing process.
Karena's daily practices reveal the importance of ritual in everyday life. From stirring intentions into morning coffee to journaling and movement, she demonstrates how ritual doesn't require elaborate tools or ceremonies but can be integrated into simple daily actions. These rituals become anchoring points that help maintain emotional equilibrium and foster self-connection.
I was particularly moved by Karena's childhood story about communicating with fairies. Guided by her grandmother, young Karena would leave offerings by a creek near their apartment, convinced the fairies were accepting her gifts and listening to her wishes. This beautiful intergenerational passing of magical thinking continues to influence her practice today, with Karena still maintaining a fairy garden and leaving milk and honey offerings during moon phases.
For those interested in exploring Karena's work, she offers seasonal circles called Rooted in Sisterhood and one-on-one coaching through her program Become the Witch. Her approach integrates tarot, NLP techniques, and shadow work to help clients integrate all aspects of themselves, especially the parts they've been conditioned to reject or hide.
As we concluded our conversation, Karena left listeners with a powerful reminder: "You are magical simply because you are." In a world constantly pushing us to be extraordinary, there's profound wisdom in embracing our averageness, finding magic in the mundane, and connecting to the natural rhythms of life and death that bind us all.