MODERN WITCHES: VANESSA CUCCIA, FOUNDER OF CHAKRUBS
A common contemporary image of a witch is an old woman, wizened and grotesque, perched on a broomstick, with a pointed hat, or slaving over a bubbling cauldron. While witches have existed for millennia, in truth their work has always focused more on connection with the Earth, facilitated by and working with the products of nature: plants, patterns, stones. While the witches today are more often empowered young women working on innovative endeavors than figures existing on the outskirts of society, their sense of affinity with nature and its gifts are no less powerful. Material spoke to one of these modern witches, Vanessa Cuccia, founder of Chakrubs, “the original crystal sex toy company.”
What should we know about you to really understand your work to its fullest?
I guess my whole story starts when I was really young, and my mother had a paranormal experience that led to a lot of mysteries in our household. It opened us to this idea that what you see is not always just what it is. Some sexual trauma led me to this place where I realised that what I wanted was something deeper than what I had. I needed to create my own realm of awareness in terms of sexuality and spirituality. That’s kind of a broad explanation to what led me to starting Chakrubs.
I think that in mainstream thinking spirituality and sexuality aren’t really connected.
It’s funny because chakra, this ancient practice, is really rooted in the idea that sex is not only genital orgasms. Sex is a moving energy to open up your mind and connect with spiritual sources. So it’s there but we really got so far away from it and we’re not even taught that this is a possibility. Sexuality in America is so taboo, with so much shame around it; and yet it is also in our faces all the time. There is definitely a disconnect that is there.
You mentioned chakras. Could you explain them a bit more and also tell us where crystals come into it?
Chakras are these energy centres that we have; there are seven main ones. The idea is to use crystals to help move that energy and to use their energy, because crystals have perfect molecular structures. You can use them to facilitate your ability to heal emotional traumas or anything so it’s using that and also our sexual energy so you’re combining that sexual pleasure with that energy and that causes you to have greater emotional and physical extensiveness.
These crystals, do they each have a certain function or power?
Yes, every crystal has metaphysical properties and these come from channelling. When you do a crystal meditation you tune into the energy of the crystal and it seizes you in a way. There are different functions in the crystals but they’re also really personal. I even suggest that people not look up their properties but to go with their intuition and feeling about the crystal. Each one is also different and can speak to you in a different way.
To me it seems like a form of feminism, what would you say to that?
Behind Chakrub are the ideas of love, acceptance and awareness. I think the root of feminism is empowering people to be themselves, and to be living in pleasure is definitely something that we should all do to feel more empowered.
So are peace and love the most important things for you? Or what would you say you believe in?
What I believe in is growth and transforming, and having that peace and love. I’m supposed to keep growing and changing and feeling more and more gratitude.
When you think about the word supernatural, what is the first thing that comes in your mind?
To be supernatural is to understand that natural element, you’re natural in your body, your life and nature, and supernatural is going above what we perceive, seeing what’s really going on beyond what you can physically touch or see.
Header image by Rachel Rose Cuccia