Today we’d like to introduce you to Nessa M
Hi Nessa, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
The love for the metaphysical began as early as 4 years old.
Surrounding me was my favorite aunt, my Tía Susana, performing a simple egg cleansing over each if my joints, reciting prayer, as if she were in a trance. The south Texas air rushed through the open windows next to my parent’s bed. I was not completely sure what all was going on.
The next day I found an egg yolk in water and toothpicks, and an extra small red velvet curio bag next to it. My mother would make tiny “Catholic” rituals unbeknownst to me, something that I would understand much later.
I would never really think about this again until I was 11. My fascination, love, and learning for the esoteric arts and occult studies officially began in 1996. After walking into the town’s sole bookstore, in the mall, B. Dalton.
I started early and was reading playing cards to myself during spells of boredom by the age of 12. I dabbled in Raven Silverwolfs Glamour Magic and Folk crafts. Then, I discovered and studied Buddhism in College, at a World’s Religions course taught by my sophomore Anthropologist Buddhist teacher.
I started diving into meditation with a local Buddhist physicist at coffee houses in between. I felt peaceful.
By 20, and as a lover of Lynchian film, I heard about his Transcendental Meditation practice and did my best to stay aligned. But then, Life approached me, the illusion of the rat race engulfed me until 2013, then again in 2020. I transitioned through various major life events at this point. I believe the pandemic, the great reset or the great pause, was the true calling for many. I happened to be one of them. When I was finally ready to uncover my eyes, breathe through my fear of meeting my cycles of death, undergoing initiation for my transformation, I was blessed (and scared out of my mind) by the dreams and/or shamanic journeys in meeting La Santa Muerte.
I let go by opening myself to her calling after the last powerful dream, in which she handed me gold as I was waking. I experienced the feeling upon waking of a groggy deep slumber.
What “woke” up after this dream was, for me, magickal practice or intent.
The earliest memory I remember as a girl are my multilayered experiences growing up on the Texas-Mexico southwest borderlands. The borderlands experienced by Mexican Americans and their descendants is an incredibly different lived narrative than what popular media portrays. Earlier memories involve my paternal extended family and the oral memory of ancestors with different metaphysical abilities. The lore of my grandparents that I grew up with fascinated me. Things like working and calling on Mexica spirits in trances, to provoking the rain, bringing down “lechuzas” or witch familiars by knot binding, to idol veneration, to the words in prayers that were taught to “cure” spiritual attacks through the use of an egg spiritual cleansing. These memories are an endless stream of collective trinkets and knick-knacks. The stuff you find on a dusty memory shelf at your favorite segunda, “goodwill” or thrift store. But I love it dearly and passionately. These are the depths I swim in.
Although American folk Magick has multiple roots and trailhead for our journeys, again for me, it was through various curadas, platicas, secesiones with other healers of different modalities along the way.
In listening, in stillness, carefully, we recognize a pattern in the human condition through these motions.
So, in return to my journey here, I reflected deeply on the dreams and visions that came to me. The promise to Santisima Muerte was that I gifted her a nearly 14-year professional career built with blood, sweat, tears and passion in order to transform into my full self. I started devotional ritual art by painting skulls, statues and talking to other seekers about adoration practices and experiences.
Death as an archetype impacts all life. The precious meaning through the reminder of her hourglass symbolism. Saturn, keeper of time and Mars keeper of the Scythe as archetypes. For example, as the grains of sand spill, we are reminded of our finite existence, of time as a resource in life. This entire conscience is continuous, expansive, grey matter. It may have been also the various deaths that have played out both metaphorically as well as in real life in these last couple of years, which has nearly obliterated many, myself included. Friends and family started approaching me in ways that they trusted and because of what they saw and knew in me. I kept curious as to what shine I put out to others in need of my help, the antiques I find, or the small batch, organic Folk Witchcraft for mind, body, soul I make who all end up finding me. Typically, my long-term clients come to me for fire or water cleansings first. It then becomes a ritual to cocreate a design to aid their spiritual development. Based off feedback, Individual connection has been the best experience for me. That vulnerability and trust in allowing me to alchemize the metaphysical for them is an honor and absolute joy. Their word of mouth has been critical.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road was absolutely conventional to start, but I found that regardless of my efforts to do all I could to fit in, the status quo was not for me. It was clear that from youth up through to now. Using the Metaphysical Anthropology lens to design and create the curriculum for my Masters thesis and projects led me to learn so much and truly birth a one of a kind cross cultural learning experience. All of these tools allowed me to capture and curate qualitative research and record stories they otherwise would be lost over time.
Forcing myself to fit in, and the status quo were what was causing my physical and mental anguish. This and exhaustion and led to three burnouts from 2007 – 2019.
It was then around 2019, the entire world was forced to stand still and take a collective deep breath. My tower moments and life changes began redirecting me at this time. I returned to adoration and peace in nature and this is when I dared myself to open my online store and an Etsy account. So, I did. And I did well, building a loyal fan base internationally as well as nationally and locally. I pivoted a hard right at the fork of the road and for the first time, found the rugged road less traveled exactly where I needed to be. I found the god/goddess head within me, tucked far beyond my cellular level and into my consciousness. I kept daring myself to try, to play, and to create without restrictions, as I have committed myself to dearly.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a Metaphysical Esoterica Online Gift Shop & PopUp. An Hechicera, Bruja, Comadre, Occultist, Ritualist, Metaphysical Owl spirit, Folk Traditions Anthropologist, Qualitative Academic, Master of Arts and Sciences, and a kind friend with a listening ear. I check off many boxes but never quite fit in one or another. I am many things.
Offering Handcrafted and Ritually Prepared Borderland MxAm Folk offerings for Mind/Body/Spirit, by handcrafting local, small batch, ritual crafted, Borderland Tejana Mx Am Brujeria, rituales and development for mind, body, spirit.
I curate Vintique Altar Goods (tarot, books, Altar wares) and make skull art and custom statues. I collaborate with other artisans who handcraft copper altar wares, ritual tools and create one of a kind, healing crystal jewelry to aid my client’s journey. My folk magick is a symphony of experiences, training, studies and applied arts and sciences. My roots include esoteric studies, generational-ancestral healing knowledge of Tejano and Mexican American Curanderismo. I am a liberal arts academic with thematic studies in metaphysical anthropology and a focus on Visual Communication Design in Organizational Development. With a Cross Cultural aptitude, I became a Human Centered Design and experiential facilitation evangelist in my educational, professional experiences, often producing, designing lifeycle learning experiences related to training, learning, development and talent. I helped teams shift mindsets through careful alchemy of the energy within cohort and teams. Once more open minded managers heard of my highly customized training designs, I was invited to help alchemize highly attuned performing teams. The energy would shift and all of a sudden, monumental change would occur.
These are not for the faint nor learning and development skeptics. This was real work, great work. It was then that I realized the potential for helping others go from sulfer to gold, or in alchemizing astrological and human behavioral cross training in Learning, Training and Development.
In my earlier life the facilitation of this alchemy is what brought me joy; however, my job and career were changing quickly and that took away a lot of the time to provide more focused and highly customized development.
I use multi-faceted Astrology, Tarot, and extensive Experience Design training to approach the cycles of death, rebirth, transformation in many of my designs. * Design has been an essential tool in redesigning my own life. I invite you to email me or pop in for a custom attuned ritual kit, custom self-spiritual development map, crafted just for you. Consultations are free for a basic understanding. I offer 45 minutes of our time together to exchange and ideate a plan.
What matters most to you?
First, a high level of service to the greater force/Spirit/Nature is important in crafting each of my experiences from every touch point for Owls Nest Curios. In this emphasis, it is important that I source ethically, sustainable, locally or small business supply. For example, the white sage used in my products is lovingly grown by Native Texan Indigenous just North of Central Texas and sourced ethically.
Next, is our respect for nature. We make our crafted wares with 100% cotton fabric, batting, and thread for the reason of burying the dream pillow, sachets back at a tree trunk root with gratitude once the product has lost its efficacy. For e.g. Our products are designed with the goal of zero waste. The glass we use can be returned to be refilled or dropped off at our markets for a discount. The paper and bags we use are 100% recyclable. I reuse and repurpose many of my wares and I make it a point not to order bulk from big box supply, and partner with other small businesses to order in bulk and support independent suppliers, often choosing local or small business.
Finally, I am called to guide others through their dark night of the soul, the death, rebirth and transformation cycles, through translating planetary transits and in accordance with their active medical context disclosures, if any at all. Client work has taken anywhere from a quarter to three years for a client who underwent particularly difficult life changes during the request for my limpias.
Pricing:
- Our inventory varies with vintique goods ranging from $5 – $455,
- Small batch, handcrafted wares and products from $7 – $77, custom skull art and devotional statues from $20 – $550
- I provide services in Spiritual Coaching and Development/ Cura/Bruja Conversations/Sessions ranging from $50 / hr to $222 for workings – these services are highly customized and range through full experience design packages weekend retreat held twice a year for a very limited selection of clients. These works are powerful and fully intentional, they include high discretion and require a proficient attention to detail.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.owlsnestcurios.shop
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/owlsnestcurios
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/owlsnestcurios
