In a small workshop where love and spirituality intertwine, a Wiccan couple transforms raw wood into magical artifacts that tell stories older than time.
Born from a shared passion for the craft and a 20-year spiritual journey, 13 Black Cats Shop is a portal where traditions come alive through carefully carved wooden tools.
Each piece bridges the practitioner and the mystical realms, hand-carved with intention, honoring the sacred rhythms of feminine and masculine energies. Their mission? To help witches and pagans worldwide connect deeply with their spiritual path, one enchanted wooden treasure at a time.
Discover their world, where every carved symbol and carefully crafted altar tool carries the heartbeat of ancient wisdom.
The interview
What historical or cultural traditions inspire your work, and how do they influence your creative process?
First and foremost, it is the spirituality and aesthetics of Wicca.
I have been a Wiccan myself for over 20 years, this tradition has brought me and my husband together - and later us both into this business - so for us it is the main source of strength and inspiration, a pillar of both our love story and the story of our creative fulfillment.
How do your values and beliefs shape the pieces you create?
We want our figurines and tools to assist and delight fellow practitioners worldwide and adorn altars dedicated to pagan gods, as spiritually my husband and I share this tradition.
Through my works I also try to emphasize the importance of using natural materials in spiritual practice, the beauty of motherhood and celebration of the uniqueness of your physical body at all life stages.
Are there particular historical techniques or symbols that you incorporate into your work, and why are they significant to you?
As for techniques, of course, hand carving gives more genuine creative energy to an object, so it is definitely a part of every process in our workshop.
As for the symbols, I would say that our works honor the sacred feminine and masculine energy and try to harmoniously combine archaic concepts of it (i.e. like the Horned God, the Venus of Willendorf or ancient fertility totems from Ukrainian Trypillya) with modern perception of the feminine beauty and masculine strength. We also use the symbols of Asatru and Kemetism.
What are some common misconceptions about your craft, and how do you address them?
It was surprisingly funny for me to encounter an opinion that I can't be a skilled woodcarver if I am a girl :)
Also, sometimes, people still don't understand the difference in terms of the working process and the effort put between mass-market production like AliExpress and personalized, handmade creations.
Honestly, I just don't let it get to me :) We have a lot of grateful and amazing clients which makes all the hardships worth it.
What do you hope to leave behind as your legacy through your craftsmanship?
We hope to make our contribution into revival of the Old Ways, as well as helping practitioners worldwide to fulfill themselves and make their spiritual practices effective and aesthetically pleasant.
What advice would you give someone seeking a career in your field?
It's complicated, really, as each and every path is individual and has its own ups and downs. I would say, to find your own direction, to work A LOT, and don't let failures or setbacks discourage you.
How has your craft helped you grow personally or professionally over the years?
First of all, as we have a family business, it contributed a lot to our marriage. We have discovered new amazing sides of each other's personalities, got to know each other better, and became even more united.
Professionally, to my mind, we became much more skilled in sales and client communication, on an international level too!
And, of course, we have met a whole new bunch of beautiful people across the globe! Our community is our main driving force and support.
Links
- Website: www.13blackcatsshop.com/
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Etsy shop: www.etsy.com/shop/
13blackcatsshop - Instagram account: @13_black_cats_shop