We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Nebi Void a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Nebi, appreciate you joining us today. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

My background is in conceptual art and the occult, particularly the relationship between photography and Witchcraft. I suppose my interests and root as an artist has taught me to be comfortable in risk and uncertainty.

Witchcraft itself is risky, dangerous at times. Since I tend to lean into a belief of the craft that I alone am responsible for my life and how I show up to the work. This means I accept the consequences, both good and bad. Incorporating a highly personal practice into a business is like trying to squeeze into a shoe that doesn’t quite fit. People have always used their skills, gifts and resources available to them to survive but this flow, particularly within a folk, land based practiced goes against the rhythm of traditional business structures. Yes, Dark Room Oracle is a legitimate business on paper, but the essence of what makes up Dark Room Oracle doesn’t always translate in the way businesses are expected too. It feels odd to justify services as a witch to people because a lot of consumers assume that because the business falls within a spiritual one, that it should somehow constitute as free or cheaper or that spiritual practitioners are more forgiving, nice and heartfelt than regular business. Unfortunately because of this, I see how makers and small business owners, myself included, get taken advantage of by a community that often expects to consume “magic’ in a very particular way. Before business and monetary exchange became the way it functions today, compensation for the work of a healer or herbalist within a small village or community was still given in some form. Just as it is within witchcraft, there is an exchange in magic. It cannot be created without some form of promise, consequence or offering to the energies and spirits that are worked with.

Even within the expectations of a witchcraft business, as these are growing rapidly, Dark Room Oracle doesn’t quite fit into the category of a metaphysical shop either. When I make anything or offer any type of service as the space grows, I often risk vulnerability and exposure to my personal life that can feel isolating in certain communities that aren’t as welcoming. What I mean by vulnerability is new practitioners or even related businesses see what I do and assume they can do the same without considering how long it took for an idea or product to come to life and the amount of energy put into each item. This is not a fast growing investment. I chose to commit more to Dark Room Oracle knowing I’d be committing for the long run. People don’t see what goes on behind the scenes for me as business owner. It isn’t constant growth, I have many jobs and many sources of income all while raising my children.

It evolves continuously, and I have to honor that the most because as consumers we often expect things to stay the same or the way we are used to, but the reality is that there is a cycle to everything. Even ideas and plans experience natural deaths.

Nebi, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My background is in conceptual photography and modern witchcraft study. Since 2020, I have owned and operated Dark Room Oracle. Currently it exists mostly online, with local pop-ups and events hosted around the Washington Township and Romeo, Michigan area. The business really began with the creation of the deck Dark Room Oracle that I self published in 2019. The images were created with an experimental chemical darkroom process where the abstract images were later interpreted and given their cue names while curating a set of 16 of images for the deck. They are read as dualities, as each card has a reverse and second meaning. This experimentation is a core element of Dark Room Oracle as business.

As a space, and I say this because the intent of Dark Room Oracle is to soon become a physical space, it centralizes as a hub of folk craft, art and the experimentation and intersection of thoughts and ideas. It does not claim to be one particularly study of witchcraft, but to invite the study and sharing of many branches of the craft as well as artists, writers, herbalists, activists, performers, etc.

Another corner of Dark Room Oracle is Residency Ritual. Its current resident, Taylor Simone has a personal art practice that parallels my own. Together we have been thought and ritual collaborating to formulate her next project. We have been referencing the text, M. Archive by Alexis Pauline Gumbs as a starting off point and have crafted altar spaces and rituals virtually. I learn a significant amount about the craft and art making from Taylor. The residency is intended to be a sharing of practice while calling in spirits and guides to facilitate creation. It forces us to question or perhaps even return to the original intent and reason for art making.

We also have an online shop. My signature Baba Yaga candles are all crafted in studio as well as many powdered incenses, herbal blends, ritual candles, and a new oil blend, Among Death. The rest of the shop houses a variety of vendors that have similar crafting styles, tinctures, potions, as well as zines and books.

I offer Shadow work courses that are in sync with Dark Moon magick. It pulls comparison from modern psychology and discuss the work of Carl Jung while re-establishing cathartic ritual and spirit flight as the main approach to experience the messaging of one’s shadow.

Dark Room Oracle also offers spiritual consulting. Jorie Marie of The Punk Priestess offers her Evolutionary Astrology readings, tarot and lenormand. Liam of High Life Tarot offers a unique reading experience in collaboration with plant allies. I offer folk divination or water and wax readings, oracle and one on one shadow work.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I’ve had to, and continue to unlearn pushing myself too hard. This doesn’t mean that I am not showing up to do the work. It does mean that I am readjusting what drives me to work and listening to my body. If I need to rest, I rest. If something feels off, I step away from it and give it space. If I feel myself to heavily leaning into competition and not collaboration I shut down hard.

I have inherited some chronic physical ailments that have literally stopped my body in its tracks. There have been several times in my study and work that I did not listen to the pain my body was experiencing or my severe anxiety and I’ve hurt myself physically to the point where I could not longer work because I couldn’t walk or stand. I also experience Tourette Syndrome. As I’ve gotten older and take on more responsibility, the symptoms have evolved more intensely. This is another cue I get from my body that something isn’t flowing right, that I’m stuck or I’m forcing something to much.

In general, while I apprentice and value the shared experience of other’s journey in their career and business, I’ve had to accept that many of these approaches can’t work for me. Learning to stick with my gut and what flows more easily is the hardest lesson I’ve had to learn so far.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

It surprises me what I think clients know me for. I think we have very particular ways that we wish to be perceived but can’t always predict what people will want to see or experience. Word of mouth, Baba Yaga Candles and facilitating experiences have been the most successful approach to building Dark Room Oracle. It’s slow but over time people begin to see the key differences between a product or a business. From a distance I may look the same as other metaphysical or witch shops but the more time I invest into the less popular items or ideas, that’s where I feel myself flourish the most.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.darkroomoracle.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darkroomoracle/

Image Credits
Images provided by Nebi Void