2019-10-01_Australian_Womens_Weekly_NZ

58 The Australian Women’s Weekly|OCTOBER 2019

Healing

bea lotmorethanthataswell.It
becamemoreandmorecommon
forthosetryingonKim’spiecesto
havesurprisingreactions.“When
I’min frontofpeople,andtheyput
a piece on,theemotionthatcomes
outofthatpiececanbe
overwhelmingfor
them,”shesays.
“I’vehadladies
in frontofme
startcrying
andthey’re
like,‘What’s
happening?’

Fortuitousmeeting

Thereactionsfromthewomenat the

marketsmadeKimrealiseshewas

ontherighttrack,asdidthegrowing

worldwidetrendtowardstheworld

ofWiccaandspirituality.“Iremember

sittingat WaihekeafterI hadfinished

designingmyfirstcollection,and

thinking,‘I feellikethereis a massive

awakeningcoming.’”

Sheopeneda pop-upshopin

PonsonbyCentral,rightin theheart

oftheAucklandshoppingscene.

DemandforherWickenjewellery

wasgrowing,soin 2018shesetupa

flagshipstorerightacrosstheroadin

thehipretaildistrict.Turnsout,before

thepreviousoccupants(a clothing

company),it hadbeena healthstore

foralmost 30 years.“I’dlovetoknow

whotheoriginalownerswere,but

I reckonit musthavebeensomekind

ofhealer,becausetheenergyin this

roomis amazing.”

Kimdesignedthefirstfull

collection,TheWhiteWitch,which

wasbasedaroundsymbolsfor

strengthandtransformation.She

founda high-profilefanearlyonin

supermodelRachelHunter,whowent

ontomodelthesecondcollection,

TheGreenWitch,focusedon

reconnectingwithnatureandthelife

force.“Theminutewemet,wedidn’t

stoptalkingforfourhours,”Kim

recalls.“There’snosmalltalk,weget

straighttothebigstuff.”

Thishasbeena consistenttheme

withmanyofthepeopleKim’smet

throughherWickenjourney.They’re

notjustlookingforjewellery,they’re

lookingfora message,a sign,a spark.

Conversationshit“witchlevel”,as

Kimcallsit,veryfast.“Thepeople

thataredrawntotheshopareoften

womenonthesamejourneyI was

onceon,”shesays.“IdobelieveI’ve

beenkeptalivetodothis– tohelp

guide others through what I’ve been

through.Ofallthewomenwhocome

in,therearen’tmanysituationswhere

I don’thavesomeunderstanding

ofwherethey’reat.I canjustquite

intuitivelyguidethemtowhat’sgoing

tohelpthem.”

There’sa reasonwhythatsoftand

comfortablytexturedbackroom

getssomuchuse,notonlyfrom

womenlookingtosharetheirstory,

butalsothoselookingtostarta new

one.Asthewitchyworldgetsless

scaryandmoreintriguing,thereare

lotsofpeopleouttherelookingto

diptheirtoesintothemetaphysical.

Psychics,astrology,tarot

readings...there’sa whole

worldtogetcuriousabout.

Finda coupleofcrystals

thatspeaktoyou,Kim

advises,andstartreading.

“Alotofwomen,oncethey

startresearching,willbelike,

‘Oh,that’sme,’”Kimsays.“You

don’twanttogetoverwhelmedbyit

all– startwitha littlebitofresearch

andthenfindouthowmuchfurther

youwanttogo.You’llinstantly

knowif youwanttogetmoreintoit,

if you’reready.”

Wickenhasbecomewellknownin

itshomeland,recentlytakingpartin

NewZealandFashionWeek,andhas

growingoverseasmarketsin Los

AngelesandMelbourne.“Ididonce

sella whitewitchringtosomeone

in Alaska,whichwasverycool.

I liketoimagineshewasin a castle,”

Kimlaughs.

Inanunfortunatetwist,Kimis

unabletotraveltotheselocations.

Theveryembolismthatsparked

her Wickenjourneyremainsan

unmovableobjectandshecanno

longerdolong-haultravel.Officially,

shecanstarttakingflightsofunder

threehoursin a yearortwo,though

psychologically,she’snotsureif the

PTSDshesufferswillallowherto.

Butat themomentshe’svery

content.“Ihavetoconstantlypinch

myselfandrealisewhatthisis,”says

Kim,lookingaroundat thenewlife

she’sbuiltforherself.“Thatalways

bringsmebacktowhyI’mdoingit,

andeveryday,anotherwoman walks

into this shop.”AWW

“I dobelieveI’ve beenkept alive

todo this –to help guide others

through what I’ve been through.”

WhenI firststartedhavingthese
thingshappen,I’dcomehomeandtell
mysonormyhusbandand
theywouldbelike,‘Oh,that’snice.’
Andthentheywouldcomein and
helpmeandseeit forthemselves
becauseit happensoverandover
andover.”
It’s a reactionKimherselfhad
experiencedduringtheprocessof
creatingthejewellery,particularly
workingwiththecrystals.“Iwould
breathethemin – I knowthissounds
crazy,”shelaughs.“ButI swearit
wouldwork.I wouldimaginethe
colourofthecrystalgoinginto
mylungs;imaginethemcomingin,
downthroughmylungsandclearing
andhealingmybody.I hadactual
medicinedoingthatformetoo,but
it helpedtoimaginethecrystals
doingit aswell.
“Istillfullybelievein mainstream
medicine– if I didn’thaveClexane
[a bloodclotmedication],I wouldn’t
behere.ButI thinkthepowerofthe
mindandhowit cancontrolyouin
illness,aswellasstress,is insanely
powerful.Youcaneitherwind
yourselfuporfindthetoolstocalm
yourselfdown.If you’recalmer,it’s
easiertohealbecauseyourbody
isn’tin a constant state of panic
or fear.”