Meet Syrena of Hoodrat Hippie
Some time in mid-January, I was thinking about intentions. I keep a running list of things I want to see happen over the year—it’s something I’ve done every year for a while now. I wrote on a whim that I wanted to connect with someone through Practical Magic— someone far from where I live and far removed from my own everyday reality. The Internet has made our world a lot smaller and I felt that it wouldn’t be such a farfetched pursuit.
Cue a few hours later (I’m not kidding!), I get an email from Syrena of Hoodrat Hippie. She sent a brief and friendly letter about how she was putting together a retreat (spiritual wellness vacation actually—doesn’t that sound great?) called “Witches Weed Wine & Whatnots” in Washington State and was wondering how we could connect.
I was floored!
This was “ask and you shall receive” happening in real time. I immediately said yes and sent over the Practical Magic Starter Deck as a sponsor of WWW&W… When serendipity knocks on your door, you never say no! Syrena was kind enough to put up a review of the PM Deck on her YouTube channel and I thought, in the spirit of connection, I’d do a blog feature on her too.
Syrena uses her intuitive readings as a tool to guide women along personal and spiritual growth. She’s all about providing action steps so people open up to how limitless their potential is—something I 100% believe and I try to do too through my readings here. It’s so much fun to find people you align with—people you would have probably never have met if someone wasn’t brave enough to reach out or go beyond their comfort zone.
Apart from loving the brand Hoodrat Hippie, I was also intrigued by Syrena’s back story—how she came to “help, heal, and provide hope.” Her bio talks about her 10-year battle with alcoholism as well as CCCA Alopecia. Amazing right??? I sent Syrena a couple of q’s. Hope you enjoy reading about her as much as I did :)
Q&A with Syrena of Hoodrat Hippie
PRACTICAL MAGIC: Your story about overcoming alcoholism and alopecia is extraordinary! When did you feel like you were really making headway and progress during this part of your life? Did your transformation come suddenly or did you feel it in small shifts and changes?
SYRENA: It was definitely small shifts. When I’m in the “thick of it” and I’m desperate for a change it feels like it’s never going to happen sometimes. I was able to use my addictive personality/behavior to my advantage when it came to achieving goals little by little. It helped that I kept a journal so that I could actually look back on my progress. So days that were a bit sluggish I could still be proud of how far I had gone on my journey. I would watch pictures of my bald head fill in month by month. Seeing THAT after being told that my hair was NEVER going to grow back. Well, now I can do ANYTHING... right?! Lol! My pride will be the death of me! I actually wrote a book called From Hoodrat to Hippie. It outlines the process of my transformation.
PM: I love your “Hoodrat Hippie” brand. How did you decide to pursue it and use it to “help, heal, and provide hope?”
SYRENA: I see a lot of women suffer in silence about their Alopecia and out of desperation they fall for these “magic elixirs” that are supposed to make your hair grow back. I honestly was tired of seeing it. If I could get my life together then literally anyone can. I was bald, homeless, and drunk 24/7. If that’s not rock bottom then please show it to me. I wanted to show women that little changes could be made to improve their life/health at any age and any stage.
The name Hoodrat Hippie is to show that I didn’t have to completely lose myself to achieve the life I wanted.
I see a ton of P.O.C. that have this stigma about wellness and spirituality because of a belief that it’s “white people sh!t” and won’t explore beyond what they’ve learned in the hood. I want to show people that look and talk like me that exploration of personal growth is vast and neverending with possibilities.
PM: How has your experience with helping people grow personally and spiritually been?
SYRENA: Imposter syndrome is definitely real in the personal growth game. Especially when I have people around me who have been here since day one and REALLY know who I was and what I was capable of when I was a raging drunk. It’s humbling, to say the least. But again, it’s just a friendly reminder from the universe of how far I’ve come. I’m grateful for these before and after pictures. The before pictures of me holding liquor and weed with 3 strands of hair on my head and the after picture of me in Thailand being blessed by a Buddhist Monk. These are actual visuals that I can share with people who are feeling hopeless about their progression in life. I didn’t start getting my shit together till my mid 30s.
PM: What’s your favorite part about reading tarot for yourself and for others?
SYRENA: Honesty? I love to show people how WRONG they are! LOL! Some of my clients have such a negative image of themselves. They believe they are too poor, too old, too black, too female, too fat, too ugly, etc to manifest the life they desire. WRONG! Some of them feel like it’s too late for them to even have the audacity to have dreams/goals….WRONG! I’m living proof that all of those self-sabotaging beliefs can be overcome.
I love reading for myself because I HAVE TO KNOW EVERYTHING! I am indeed a Virgo through and through! :) (note from PM: I love Virgos! Most of my best friends and family share this sign!)
PM: How important is community to you? How have you built and nurtured your own group?
SYRENA: Very important. Everyone loves that feeling of belonging. I’ve joined a ton of spiritual groups that like to segregate and all the power and choice to them. However, I’ve had success with being open with my members. You don’t have to identify as ANYTHING if you don’t want to. If your intentions are coming from a place of love/growth then you are more than welcome. My group members are an eclectic bunch. They all feel safe to share their personal and spiritual journeys free of judgment.
If we cannot do that for each other as adults then...wtf are we doing?
PM: Do you have a favorite / staple tarot deck and if you do, what is it? Or do you like to mix things up and play around with different decks?
SYRENA: YOUR DECK IS MY FAVORITE CHINGGAY! :) (note from PM: omg, I’m not editing this out lol)
I love the Affirmators Tarot Deck! It was the first one I purchased. It doesn’t have people, only animals so I don’t get irritated with the lack of representation.
Diversity is very important to me when it comes to tarot and oracle.
It’s disheartening when I flip through a deck with all-white faces and thin bodies. It makes me questions the artist. Like...show me where this world exists. I’m an addict so I have far too many decks than one reader needs.
PM: What do you wish people knew about the kind of work that you do?
SYRENA: That anyone claiming to know everything about spiritually is full of sh!t. We are constantly learning and growing and it never stops. We are all built with intuition. Some of us are just a little more gifted through practice. If you are new and you have a ton of questions. Don’t be afraid to ask. However, any answer you get is up for your own interpretation. Nobody is the end all be all. If the advice feels good, follow it. If it doesn’t, then don't. It’s really that simple. Anyone that tells you that you HAVE to do things a certain way on YOUR spiritual journey is a gatekeeping a$$hole.
PM: Any details you can share about your retreat? What can people expect from it and how can they join?
SYRENA: Well, I’m a die-hard martial artist. I love to show women and children, even men sometimes the TRUE power they possess within their bodies. I’m also a Lunar Witch that loves to use the moon phases for my rituals/magic. Witches Weed Wine & Whatnots is a spiritual wellness vacation so to speak where I teach basic self-defense techniques. My partner who is a Green/Kitchen witch will be hosting workshops on everyday kitchen magic and how to use Cannabis in rituals and spells. It’s a 3-night full moon event where we Smoke Some Weed and Punch Some Sh!t & Drink Some Wine and Craft Some Sh!t!
You do not have to identify as a witch. It is for all spiritual levels. We’re going to make moon water, have group manifestations and protection jewelry crafting. I’m particularly excited about the All Black Party when we dress up and have a confidence-boosting photo shoot. It’s going to be a great time!
Follow Witches Weed Wine on Instagram to stay up to date on all of our AMAZING sponsors donating to the retreat. You can find the sign-up link in the bio.
PM: How has magic been practical to you?
SYRENA: Magic has been practical to me as it’s ALWAYS working from me. Even when I feel like I’ve lost my way, when I feel like an obstacle is just too tough… magic is still working for me. Magic has always been there for me. It was just waiting for me to believe in it. Once I believed magic to be true, it has consistently shown itself to me time and time again.
For more updates on Syrena, Hoodrat Hippie, and “Witches Weed Wine & Whatnots,” visit her website at thehoodrathippie.com and follow her on Instagram at @hoodrat_hippie_tarot.