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********* TRIGGER ALERT - BRIEF MENTION OF SUICIDAL IDEATION **********

What if creativity could be a ritual that heals the deepest parts of you? We sit down with River Root—recovering attorney, self-taught artist, and unabashed classic car nerd—to explore how black-and-white photography, wood burning, and intention turned a life marked by breast cancer into a canvas for meaning. River shares the turning point from evangelical roots to an earth-centered spiritual practice, why a first group ritual felt like coming home, and how incense, music, and a pyrography pen create a flow state where time loosens and the soul gets loud.

Details

The conversation travels through the intimate details that shape an artist’s eye: macro shots of headlights that look like diamonds, architectural cornices and doorways, and the sacred geometry hidden in everyday objects. We talk about the leap from posting photos in a phone-saturated world to transforming images into tactile keepsakes on wood, sometimes finished with watercolor, and soon with handcrafted sigils. Along the way, River opens up about language and illness—why “warrior” talk can harm, how hair loss makes an invisible battle suddenly public, and what it meant to choose life without reconstruction and still claim beauty, style, and desire on her own terms.

We also wrestle with the word “crone”: the stereotypes, the impostor feelings, and the reframing that turns it into autonomy, earned wisdom, and the freedom to design a life you actually want. There’s humor (“my boobs tried to kill me”), tenderness, and practical insight on turning intention into practice, embracing authenticity when it isn’t universally loved, and finding your people by making the art only you can make. If you’re curious about ritual, creativity, witchcraft, body image, or how to rebuild after a hard season, this one will stay with you long after it ends.

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Chloe Brown is the graphic artist behind all of the Mermaids’ delightfully whimsical branded reels, stories and picture posts on social. Contact her at MysticalMermaidLounge@yahoo.com for artistic consultation and design work.

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