NOT A PHASE is an inclusive ‘Witches Emporium’ providing magical tools and supplies to witchy babes of any and all ✨🖤🌙

Hi! I’m Sian, the face behind Not A Phase.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been interested in magick, crystals, witchcraft etc. but always felt a bit shy about it, and kept it quiet. During 2020, because of lockdown, the pandemic, and various other ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ world events (and just how many ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ events can happen in a lifetime?), my mindset shifted. Like everyone else, I was just trying to find ways to survive, and with all the time I now had on my hands, went back to things I’d loved. I started to see magick and witchcraft as a form of self-care.

It was (and is now again!) something I loved doing, but I struggled to feel like I could ‘keep up’. I have fibromyalgia, and have struggled with daily pain, fatigue and brain fog since my early 20s. Flare ups of fibro would stop me from marking the moon phase or holidays, or from doing any spells or rituals the way that I wanted to. Self doubt started to creep in, and it went from something I loved to something that felt like a chore. I’d lost my form of self care and maintaining any kind of mental well-being.

I needed to find another way to practice. Firstly, I needed to remember it’s a journey, a learning experience. There is no perfect way to do it. But I needed to find a way that worked for me, that was low energy. So, I started to look into crystals and spell jars a bit more. They’re beautiful little curios that, in the very least, work like affirmations. Just little reminders that I needed to take care of my health; that I needed to love myself a bit more; that I needed to do things a bit more intentionally or mindfully.Like many people did, I really struggled with my mental health during lockdown, and these really gave me a way to deal with it. Sometimes they were a reminder, sometimes they were just a pretty distraction. On more than one occasion, they acted as a little fidget toy to help with self-soothing.

Knowing how low and dark I got, I really hated the idea of anyone else struggling like that. They helped me, so if there is the tiniest chance of them helping anyone else, then I’ll take it.

So far, I’m over the moon with how things are going. I’ve had so much support from friends, family, and even total strangers. I’ve found a little community amongst other small businesses and their supporters. I’ve now traded at markets, and met so many people who were or still are in the same place I was, and are looking for a way to help themselves; so many magickal babes, at different stages in their journey. The spell jars work for those who are maybe inexperienced or lack confidence, or are still in ‘the broom closet’, so I really have met a whole range of people who love them, and it honestly fills me with so much joy. I’ve learnt so much from everyone, and feel so accepted.

For the future of Not A Phase, it would be the absolute DREAM to one day have a physical bricks-and-mortar shop, for the oddbods, weirdos, anyone considered ‘other’. It would be a welcoming and supportive space, for anyone looking to start practising, anyone who is at all interested, anyone who is just looking for a community. It would welcome anyone and everyone. And it would be 10000% fine to be there just because you think crystals and witchy bits are pretty - because they are!