Who we are & why you found us
Well, hello! Welcome to Golden Apple! We've been waiting for you. If you're reading this blog, something about us sparked something in you. Maybe you saw us on Instagram. Or TikTok. Maybe you were at a convention and caught one of Diana's presentations. Or maybe you were at a friends house and saw a cool candle, smelled a great incense. Whatever the reason, you're here now, and we're really glad to have you!
If you've started at the beginning of these blog posts, then likely you have a decent idea of who we are. BUT not everyone likes to begin at the beginning. If that's you, this blog is to catch you up. If you've been a reader of the blog before, this is a "hey howdy, we're still here" post as well. AND.... before I get to deep into this post: Hi. I'm Nikki Jobin, one of the owners of Golden Apple Metaphysical, and I oversee the day to day stuff for Golden Apple here on the West Coast. My business partner, Diana Rajchel, takes care of the Michigan side of things. But we met here in San Francisco.
How Did we come to be?
When Diana and I met, I wasn't looking to start a business. I came to her meet up group, hoping to find like minded people. My experiences before had been.... not difficult, but challenging enough that I'd been on a solitary path for a long time, and didn't feel like I had much of a community. Don't get me wrong, all the practitioners I'd met before were nice enough.. and inclusive. But most everyone I'd met came in two flavors: tradition based path or solitary. And while people were happy to connect at events, anything outside of that became more difficult. Especially if I wanted to try experimenting with new and different (outside of the circle) thinking. And sometimes, I'd get the feeling that I "wasn't pagan enough" for some people because I don't have a heavily ritual based practice. Again, no disrespect or reproach to the practitioners I've met in the past. But I feel like "different" doesn't necessarily mean "wrong". Does your way work for you? Great. MY way works for me too, even if it's different from tradition. Meeting Diana was like a breath of fresh air after being in a series of rooms with air freshener. (**important note: air freshener is not BAD, I'm just allergic**) I felt like I finally met someone who was ok with doing things differently. And with experimenting! Also, there was no judgement about my path being a little darker at points. A far cry from all the "Love & Light" I'd been over-experiencing.
Needless to say, Diana and I became friends, slowly at first because both of us are cautious of who we let into our private space, but over the years it has become a strongly formed bond. As we started to talk and practice together, and as more people joined the group, I finally began to meet more people that had what I will term "fringe" practices. Some people were of a more traditional practice, sure, but they were more open to the ideas that no traditional paths had just as much merit. And, as it turned out, some of the solitary people were just like me, solitary because they felt like there was no real space in the "witch community" for them. NOW, it is important to note here that, as I've traveled around the US, I've met more practitioners with whose skillsets align more with how I work. And, I've been able to learn so much about different styles of witchcraft and metaphysics, as well as about myself in the years that have passed.
One day, as Diana & I sat around drinking coffee, we talked about creating not only a space where people could meet and mingle with other practitioners (Which we had already done with the meetup), but a place were people could learn from us and each other. A place where we could create and experiment. And a place from which we could help others. That were the first seeds of Golden Apple were formed.
Golden Apple Metaphysical
Magickal Innovations & Solutions
At Golden Apple, we don't care if you follow a specific path or tradition. You can be left or right hand path. You can be a chaos mage or a Christian witch. You can be a practitioner of many years, a total newbie or even just someone who thinks witches are cool. We just want everyone to be treated with respect and civility. Come prepared to listen, learn, and share. Everyone's experiences are important. We welcome new insights and perspectives. And we are also here to help those in need. Do you have a metaphysical problem that doesn't respond to the usual methodology? We might be able to help. Looking for a teacher in a specific field? We can make some recommendations. Looking for a community that accepts you for who/what you are? We're here, reach out when you're ready.
community is important to us
Community doesn't always mean people that think exactly like us or that believe exactly what we believe. Your community can be a group of people who accept you, who help you grow and thrive in your chosen practice. That's what we offer. And if it turns out that we're not a good fit? We have ties to many communities, one of which might be better for you.
Feel free to leave a comment, or better yet, subscribe and see a little bit more of what we're about!
Thanks for catching up with us today. Hope to see you around the site and in the community!
Nikki xoxo