Serefina Yeshe Mesa | Co-Owner & Creator
Serefina Yeshe Ny'O is a mother, writer, and Buddhist Witch. The oldest of nine children, Serefina was born and raised in Pomona, a small Southern California town just on the outskirts of Los Angeles. Serefina is the founder and co-owner of Rue & Vervain and the author and creator of the Earth, Moon, & Shadow Oracle as well as the co-creator of The Wisdom of Pooh Tarot.
Serefina began her spiritual journey in 2014 and committed to walking a path toward enlightenment when she took her Refuge Vow as a Buddhist in 2016, then her Bodhisattva Vow in 2017. For the last 24 years, Serefina has lived in the lush green state of Maryland on the East Coast of the United States. She currently lives and practices her craft in the city of Baltimore where she shares her life with her partner of 23 years and two beagles. Together they have raised two amazing and gifted adults.
I am a practicing Mahayana Buddhist and officially began my spiritual journey in 2014 when I spent several weeks living and volunteering at Karmê Chöling Buddhist meditation center in exchange for room, board, and teachings.
Karmê Chöling sits in the middle of 700 acres of untouched forest in Barnet, Vermont, USA. While there, I lived in a tent and volunteered in the kitchen on weekdays. I attended Buddhist classes three days a week and meditated at 7:00 am and 7:00 pm for one hour every day. It was the most profound and existential experience of my life. I think about it nearly every day.
I took my Buddhist Refuge Vow in 2016 where I was given my new name, Yeshe Ny'O (Sanskrit for Wisdom Sunlight). I then took my Bodhisattva Vow in 2017 in Washington, DC with Acharya Richard John. I have been formally trained in several meditation techniques including Shamatha and Tonglen meditation.
My Buddhist Journey
From 2016-2018 I was an active member of the Baltimore Shambhala Center where I volunteered and led meditation several times a week. There I took additional Buddhist courses including The Four Noble Truths, The Three Jewels, The Four Foundations of Mindfulness, to name a few. I left the Shambhala sect of Buddhism in 2018 (as did Pema Chödrön and countless others). I continue to study and practice solo.
Prior to becoming Buddhist, I was Christian (by birth) and later became "Born Again" in the Assemblies of God tradition when I was 19. I spent 35 years (15 active years) in the Christian church. Christianity and I parted ways in 2012.
My Journey Into Witchcraft
My journey actually began in the early 90's. I was 12 years old and full of natural magic and imagination that inspired me to try my hand at spellwork. I quickly met with harsh ridicule from my peers who shamed me so intensely that I quickly shoved it aside and distanced myself from it. Then witchcraft called to me again in my early 20's. By this time, there was a little more information now that the internet was becoming more rich with content. However, even with several books and tools, I just couldn't seem to grasp the concept.
It wasn't until 2018 that I really dove into witchcraft. I suddenly became very ill and no doctors could really explain why. In just a few months I lost my job, my home, my sanity, and my dignity. After one particularly excruciating night of pain, I had a complete breakdown. Through sobbing tears I literally begged for death. It was in that moment of intense pain that came immense clarity. In the clearest tone I heard my Third Voice, "If you want to die then die, but if you want to live, no one is coming to save you. Only you can save yourself". It was in that moment I claimed my power and fully embraced my inner Witch.
My Personal Practice
My personal brand of witchcraft is mainly science mixed with spirituality. I am what is known as a I practice a lot of Green witchcraft and my studies revolve mostly around energy movement and manipulation. My practice is steeped in herbalism, botany, particle physics, quantum mechanics, and string theory. I practice several forms of meditation and my spell work includes working with intention and manifestation. I do not work with deities of any kind, but understand and respect their archetypal energies. Some of my favorite resources on the connection between spirituality and science are: The Tao of Physics, by Fritjof Capra, Real Magic by Dean Radin, PhD, and The Transcendent Mind by Alan Lightman
Embracing My Inner Witch
"Witch" has always been a loaded term. So, I'd like to take a moment to shatter the stigma. To begin with, witchcraft is NOT evil. Well, no more evil than any other belief system. One can take any belief or religion and use it to spread fear and hate or love and kindness. Some of the most horrific things to happen in the history of humankind were at the hands of Christians, Muslims, Jews, and other religious pantheons. Does that make these entire religions evil? Of course not. There are vast numbers of people in these religions that bring a lot of love and compassion into the world each and every day. In the right hands, one's "faith" has the power to heal humanity and in the wrong hands it has the power to tear down and destroy the very fabric that connects us.
So, are there witches that thrive on evil and destruction? Absolutely. However, the majority of practicing witches use their gifts for the betterment of the collective consciousness. Witches are not just evil hags that hex and "dance with the devil". Witches are also healers, spiritual guides, and psychologists. They are the marked ones sent by the ancestors to guard the hedges between the physical and spiritual realms. Like every other belief system, Witchcraft is simply a practice or tool. How it is used depends solely on the heart and intentions of the practitioner.