It was 2013. After spending over 50 years in school as student, graduate student, and professor),
I left the academy and started a business. I worked with women crafters where I lived, in Maine, to sell their handmade witchy candles, jewelry, herbal teas, witchy lotions and potions, inspiring stationery, and goddess art, all with labels featuring my poems. I also sold my own spellbinding poetry books, witchy perfumes for the five elements, and spellboxes that I assembled and blessed. The website was called American Witch Community and Marketplace. It was beautiful!
That year, I went to one of my favorite conferences—the Association for the Study of Women and Mythology, where I am now a proud board member—and heard feminist economist Genevieve Vaughan speak about the “maternal gift economy.”I have immense respect, and affection, for Gen, so I hung on every word—feeling more and more conflicted and confused.
I had lunch with Gen afterwards and told her about the business I was starting. I asked her point blank: do you think all exchange is wrong? t feel as if American Witch is a Goddess-centered business. Am I deluding myself?
Gen replied, “I think what you are doing is OK. I guess sometimes people need to pay money so they will pay attention.”
I was deeply relieved, and I went on with my business until it became clear that it was not the right path at that time. But i have never