Our Board

I have been on a pagan path most of my life. As a child I was shunned from the church when I studied the things they were teaching me to much, and asked questions they did not care to answer. I found that nature gave me all the answers I needed in life. As a scout master for over 30 years all of the boys with gifts the did not understand were drawn to me and I used my experiences to help them learn to accept and use the various gifts they had been given. I do not know if there is a real name for my primary gift is I attract people and they want to be around me. When they are with me I take on their pain and they walk away feeling better and I go to nature to release the baggage they have handed off to me be it spiritual, emotional, or physical pain.  I am also a tarot reader and a reiki master (4 master from  Mikao Usui). I have studied and followed many pagan paths in my life. At one point after being in a coven for over a year the other members went to the high priestess and requested she bring me in as the high priest of the coven. I was involved with Piedmont Pagan Pride for a while.  I plan to use the lessons learned from the failure of that group to form a transparent organization that this area can learn to trust again. .

In my mundane life I severed in the US Air Force for 6 years out of high school. While in the AF I was involved in an accident in Europe that killed everyone in the car. They were not able to save my wife, but they were able to bring my best friend and me back. I was gone for over 6 minutes mundane time but inn that short amount of time I was told I needed to go back and fulfill my purpose. I was allowed to tell my wife goodbye and walk her to the light. In my duties as a High Priest, I always asked the coven members “Do you enter in perfect love and perfect trust”. The sad part is I in my journey to the other side, I learned what that felt like and knew they had no idea what it was unless they had also walked on the other side. In this journey I was shown the path I chose was the correct one and I work every day to help others realize the same.

I have been programming computers since the late 70s and have been an officer in the banking industry as a technical lead, architect, and software developer for over 20 years. I have my master’s in computer science and have been teaching at night at the local community college many years. I have sat on many boards in my life and understand how they should and should not work. I have owned many successful businesses in North Carolina and Florida. The most recent being mine and my wife’s metaphysical store in Concord. We have been brick and mortar for 10 years and have grown from 450 sq ft to 6000 sq ft.

Ivy Laine has been a practicing Witch over the last 29 years. Born and raised right here in the Appalachian Mounts of North Carolina, she’s always felt a pull to the land. Her journey started when there were few books, and the internet was the Wild West. A mother of 2, Mimi of 3, Wife, Sister, Cat Lover, Truth-seeker, Psychopomp, Bone Witch, Oracle through which the Divine Speaks, Mentor, Musician, Artist, Writer, Content Creator, a Gardener of both mundane and baneful flora, and a heart filled with Wanderlust. She shies away from nothing.

She is a Co-Founder of Dark Goddesses Collective (www.darkgoddessescollective.com) and has spent her life working to heal herself, help others to find their truth, and learning everything she can to facilitate those aims. DGC is an up-and-coming community of Witches, Wise Women, Healers, Journeyers, and more. Who wish to explore the deeper mysteries and discover their own path to whole. A truly collaborative community that shares in the knowledge we have gained over our lifetimes. To help those who are seeking their own healing but don’t know where to start. We will be offering classes, workshops, complete courses, and ritual workings to those who wish to take a deep dive.

She’s a content creator/guest blogger over at Revelationsofawitch.com Sharing articles on occasion when inspiration strikes!

Ivy has been a daughter of The Morrigan for 2 decades. Many other “Dark” Goddesses have weaved their way into her own unique practice. A formally initiated Priestess of Hekate through the Covina Institute. In her studies, she has been fortunate enough to learn under a variety of Witches including Danielle Dulsky, Byron Ballard, Dr. Cyndi Brannen, The Carterhaugh School, Jude Lally and so many others. Each has left an indelible mark upon her soul.

Through her avid reading of books and the journeys she has undertaken, she has learned much of the Dark Goddesses and the wisdom they bestow, if one is patient. Through her love of music, she has found herself discovering profound truths via those journeys. While the cave of the underworld is dark, it is full of so much beauty and love.

Ivy is a reader of Tarot, Oracle, Runes, Bone-throwing and she loves Pendulums. She is versed in other forms of Divination as well. Some more proficiently than others. Yet, she is always learning. One of the purposes she feels she has in life, to explore and master the Arcane arts. She has been able to easily connect to those who seek her out for guidance. Helping others to find the methods that work for them in their own practices.

She has worked in fields from sales to management. And has worked with a local non-profit for depressed and disadvantaged people here in the Appalachians. In the early 2000’s she ran her own esoteric shop via eBay and Yahoo groups.

Gwenna Obscura has been on a twisting, turning pagan path since childhood. A voracious reader, she checked out every book about ghosts, the paranormal, metaphysics, and witchcraft from her public library at least twice. As a kid, she collected rocks, cool sticks, interesting dried leaves, snail shells, and random objects and arranged them on a shelf that she’d call an altar now.

At about 10 years old, she read ‘The Witches Bible’ by Gavin and Yvonne Frost, which set her feet on the crooked path of witchcraft. Over the years, Gwenna expanded her knowledge through independent study, classes, workshops, and practice, practice, practice. 

A green eclectic witch for more than 20 years, she is currently studying druidism and is a bard and member of The Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids.

In Gwenna’s mundane life, she worked in the newspaper industry for nearly 20 years, first as a writer and later as a copy editor and designer. She is now manager of The Enchanted Kitchen, where she reads oracle and tarot cards, and teaches classes and workshops on topics such as paganism, witchcraft, herbs, and divination. And for the last 11 years, she has been owner of Concord Belly Dance. She has been a belly dance performer and instructor for 15 years and incorporates the movements of belly dance into her spiritual practice.

Gwenna is co-founder of W.A.S.P. (Witches, Allies, Spiritualists, and Pagans), a community group for everyone under the pagan umbrella.
She and husband Jak have one son, five dogs, five cats, two mice, two axolotls, and (approximately) 35 fish.

Joann Turner has been on the path of witchcraft for over 40 years. The craft called to her when she spent summers in Sicily, Italy, watching her grandmother heal her townspeople. Joann always thought that her grandmother was the town healer (which she was) however, she was really the town witch. Joann comes from a long line of healers (over 100 years ago) and her grandmother was able to open her eyes and see what the world had to offer with witchcraft.
Eventually, tarot grasped Joann’s hand and led her down another path. A path of spiritually healing people through tarot readings and teaching how to read tarot cards to others. Tarot has had a hold of her for over 30 years! Joann is certified in tarot, teaches tarot, and reads tarot at the Enchanted Kitchen in Concord. Joann has a small business where she can even read at events and read virtually over the phone/video as well!
Joann currently reads tarot at the Enchanted Kitchen and teaches several classes and workshops on topics such as tarot, intuition, anatomy of a spell, and other divination tools.
Joann is from New York where she also read at a metaphysical shop, did readings on the side, and went to multiple events to read. She also used to be a medical instructor and worked in the nursing field. Eventually, teaching called her back to where she learned nursing and she taught future medical assistants. Joann also knows how to break down medical terminology and helped console patients to ensure that they knew exactly what was going on with them and their bodies.
Joann is a healer, always learning and willing to listen to others, and will always guide others in the right direction. She is constantly expanding her mind and sharing her knowledge with others. She is one of the founders of the Witchetaria with Gwenna Obscura and Ivy Laine

Angel Lajoux has been fascinated with witchcraft since she could read. Angel is an avid reader who first started reading many fantasy books about witchcraft. Eventually, she checked out a book about pendulums at her local library. Scared to take the dive and not knowing that witchcraft was something she could practice herself, she stuck to fantasy. Angel has always believed in angels, the divine, ghosts, etc., but was not sure how that fit into her day-to-day life (she even had a ghost friend when she was younger). Once older, she finally made the decision to take the deep dive into witchcraft and will not look back.
Angel is an eclectic witch, tarot, and pendulum reader, and loves all things divination and intuition based. She is consistently learning, reading, and helping others create, organize, and teach classes. She hopes to spread positivity about witchcraft and mental health.
Angel has worked on several projects to help promote mental health and has been able to help others who have mental illnesses and people who may have a family member with mental illness. Angel has also worked in the administrative field for over 5 years and has used her skills to help others so that they are able to free their minds of mundane tasks. Angel is a crafter and has her own small business selling different craft items, and readings.

Angel is willing to help others, lend an ear, and wants to eventually work in the law field to make a difference in other’s lives through witchcraft, mental health, and justice. Her goal in life is simple: Help others through the skills she has acquired and continues to develop.