A professional witch clears up misconceptions about her craft and what she does for a living

From chakra alignment to tarot readings to reiki healing for pets, Rae is a witch and healer who works with various age groups in Singapore. We sat down with her to understand how she got into this, her personal motivations and what she hopes to do for her clients.

How would you describe what you do as a witch?

I do tarot readings and spellwork magic consultations. During the sessions, we often discuss what’s happening in the person’s personal life and sometimes in their professional life as well. 

What is a common misconception that people have about what you do?

Since I offer magic services and ritual work, they naturally see it as a darker or unorthodox practice, or that there must be some form of danger or exchanges involved. That’s not true. In spirituality, if we only embrace the good side, the light side, but deny the darker spectrums, are we really progressing? Everyone operates on a spectrum. Some days we’re good, some days we’re not so good. Understanding both aspects of yourself is very important. Magic can help enhance our lives but it’s just like a pair of scissors. If you use it right, it helps; it’s functional. But if you use it to harm, then it’s malicious. So it’s usually the intent behind doing a certain type of work, or creating a certain type of magic system.

What led you to this industry and what keeps you interested today?

I’ve always had an interest in the occult and supernatural. When I was younger, I had a boyfriend who was a magic practitioner. He taught me some stuff, and along the way, I developed my own natural senses as well. I was already doing readings for my own friends but I didn’t want to take it on professionally. But it was only a few years ago, when I had a near-death experience, that my perspective on the things I wanted to do drastically changed. I thought, I’m going to do whatever I want and that’s how @tarotwithrae started. 

My personal motivations are to develop my own spiritual learning and journey. That has always been at the core of it, to grow myself.

What are the demographics of your customers and what are some of their main concerns? 

They’re mostly in Singapore; most of them are young, working adults to middle-aged. There are a few clients who are my clients’ parents. So, sometimes I take care of the entire family. Most of the time, people come to me for money, luck or more favours at work. 

Why do you think there is a growing interest in this area?

During COVID and a little bit after that, people realised that there are so many things that can change quickly, and it put into perspective what was important in their lives. These deeper questions set in and people wanted a sense of hope. Maybe they wanted some answers so they could navigate their paths, or know what they should do or avoid. People are more open to trying other ways of healing these days other than a clinic or medication, and many are trying to discover themselves again.

What do you aspire to achieve as a witch? 

I want to share more spiritual knowledge and spiritual practices with my clients. Whether they are believers or are just trying this out to see what this new-age practice is about, I want to share more through conversations. It’s the sharing, the education part that I really enjoy.

This interview has been edited for clarity.

Photographed by Lawrence Teo
Styled by Gracia Phang
Hair & Makeup: Sha
Content Producer: Brandon Chia
Stylist’s Assistant: Zoe Tauro

This article was originally published in Harper's Bazaar Singapore.