Valentine's Day is upon us, and for some of you, this fact may fill your black heart with dread. Admittedly, it's a schmaltzy holiday, replete with unwanted Teddy bears trapped in heart-shaped balloons, subpar chocolate offerings and heart-themed jewelry (as ubiquitous as it is repellent, shudder). If you have ever been on the receiving end of these crummy, landfill-destined gifts, it's possible you may loathe Valentine's Day just by that association.

I am here to offer several alternatives for those of you who like good presents and who want better things for your loved ones, to make Valentine's Day (or Friendentine's Day) great again (but for real, think Halloween For Lovers)!

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:: Framed Insects And Butterflies :: Each beautiful piece at Oracle is preserved and framed by the artists in the shop, making every single specimen a unique and special work. I am especially enamored of the dried flora pieces created by Alessandra Dzuba and Ash Miyagawa, they are romantic and timeless and would surely win the heart of the natural science lover that you know!

:: Jawbone Talismans :: Our jawbone talismans are intuitively created in shop and are imbued with blessings to bring protection and abundance to the recipient. Each piece is constructed with loving intention and care, and no one talisman is alike - perfect for the Brujas and Brujos in your life.

:: Witch Club :: - Witch Club is a monthly subscription box and makes an excellent gift for someone who is looking to amplify their spiritual practice! Available for purchase in monthly, three month and six month installments - each month our Witch Club members receive crystals, incense and resins, dried herbs and flowers, and a special, hand selected monthly bundle to incorporate into your ritual or meditation practice. Items are chosen with the lunar cycle in mind but can be used however you see fit! This is a wonderful gift that keeps giving into extra innings because Love should be celebrated all year round!

*We also carry specially crafted Witch Bundles which are available in shop and online, a wonderful gift on it's own!

++ It is our pleasure to recommend items from these other makers and sellers whom we love ++

:: Chocolate :: - Fatally Yours Vegan Treats - Holy smokes y'all - when you have a black heart but a sweet tooth this gourmet chocolate box is everything!

:: Divination :: - Vessel Oracle Deck - I am a huge fan of Mary Elizabeth Evan's Spirit Speak deck and I absolutely love her charming illustrations for this oracle deck. Mary Evans puts so much care into her work and her divination tools have wonderful energy - I want one (subtle hint *cough* gimme)! - She Wolfe Tarot - This Tarot deck by Devany Amber Wolfe is beautifully rendered with photographs and digital collage - this potent, sexy deck makes an incredible gift for a witch you are into!

:: Jewelry :: - Mercury Hour - Scarlett C. Dancer's work is so awesome, I would be hard pressed to choose just one piece, but her Love Ballad series is spot on for V Day. - Arcana Obscura -Kate Hockstein creates the most wonderful, occult-themed jewelry - each piece is a unique work of art, perfect for those who like to keep it dark, I love it all! - Omnia Oddities Studio - Artists Keri Newton and Nate Allen have created this incredible jewelry studio and there is no shortage of excellent adornment here - seriously, have a look and try not to buy everything for yourself!

:: Perfume :: - For Strange Women Perfume - Jill McKeever is botanical perfume genius, her scents are evocative of magical woods, fairy tale forests and the kind of memories you create by firelight. It can be difficult to buy scents for other people, so I highly recommend giving the gift of the Lunar Amulet series, in which the lucky recipient receives a new perfume every 29 days for 12 months to celebrate the new moon!

:: Incense and Candles :: - Ritualcravt - Literally every single thing in this shop is imbued with magic (made by witches for witches, y'all!) and you will find many beautiful offerings for your loved ones. Of particular interest for the upcoming holiday, is this sweet little Love Spell Kit - it has everything you need to bring love to you! That said, if you have gone through a breakup or just aren't feeling this particular holiday you will also find excellent potions for self-care and to mend a broken heart. Ritualcravt blends their incense, teas and dressed devotional candles in shop, by hand - and every single one of them is gorgeous.

Is everyone ready for the Solar Eclipse (Of The Heart)? I'm SUPEREXCITED about it. The eclipse is bringing about some rapid change and it's a good idea for us to be ready to embrace the things which are out of our control (chaos). Adding to that, we have a new moon, making this a good time to let go of the things which no longer serve you and to work with this current of energy rather than try to fight against it. New beginnings Y'all, let's get into it! I pulled some cards to help us navigate through this - check it out:

- King of Swords - Well, good news! For those of you playing at home, the King of Swords was last card I pulled from last week's reading. Today it represents where we are, so it appears that we have been doing our work, so to speak. Sharing information and knowledge ~ while being receptive to the wisdom and counsel of others ~ we are using our intellectual and analytical strengths to come to a place of fairness with others.

- Page of Wands - So, it's super hard to sit still and not act on all the the inspiration and revelations we are experiencing right now. It's easy to get swept up in the impulsive energy surrounding this card - but we still need to slow our roll. The opportunities presenting themselves are just the kind to feed our creative spirit, but we are lacking the experience and maturity necessary to bring these things to fruition. Keep your sense of adventure alive, but don't be too quick to make a move - slow and steady Y'all.

-Six of Cups - By allowing things to slow down, we can better embrace the memory and feelings of more carefree days. This card always talks about feeling connected to the joy, innocence and ease of childhood - I know this is not true for all of us, for many our childhoods can be a memory bank for trauma and hurt. I think what this means is, we can cultivate the feelings of playful ease if we give ourselves permission to experience magic. Did y'all have imaginary friends? Imaginary epic battles? Make potions out of mud and whatever else you could find in the yard? I think all children are pretty witchy and their sense of wonder and magic can get shamed out of us as we get older. Fuck that noise! Time to get in touch with your intuition and really flex your imagination muscles. Try to remember the things which give you real joy and revisit those things!

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*These tarot card readings are intended for us all as a community and are therefore broad. If you are interested in a more specific, in-depth reading - we offer individual readings at Oracle as well! If you would like to schedule an appointment for an individual reading, you can do that here or give us a ring at 816.982.9550. You can also join us for one of our monthly Tarot Workshop & Happy Hour events and learn more about cartomancy!