Share a little bit about yourself and maybe describe yourself in five words?
I’ve got loyal, I think I am ridiculously loyal probably to my detriment sometimes, I’m a Scorpio, I think that probably has quite a lot to do with it, definitely of the belief that you could go to jail if you didn’t live up to my loyalty standards. I’m a total ambivert, I am really you know, I can be very out there and quite extrovert and I think a bit life and soul of the party, but after something like that I would need to have a couple of days downtime probably without anyone at all. I’m very empathetic, probably another reason why I need a bit of downtime when I’ve been around people, I definitely you know, take on everything that’s around me, but I quite like that, I feel like that makes me feel a good friend, I’m intuitive, and I am emotional.
Tell us about your journey. What brought you to where you are now?
I mean it’s funny when I kind of asked it you know, like I can definitely see how everything that I did, everything sort of just slots into place very well to bring me to where I am when I set up Mama Moon and I started to you know, share spells and share I don’t know, some of the wisdom I picked up along the way. When I was 17 I learned Reiki from a woman who- I use to look after a little boy and his mum was a Reiki Master, and I had a broken heart and the little boy wouldn’t stop crying one of the days when I’d gone around to babysit and she sensed something was wrong, and I told her that I had a broken heart so she cancelled her appointments and she did Reiki on me and I just feel like that sort of led to her than teaching me and you know, and then I went travelling in my 20s and just really feel like that whole thing of your vibe attracts your tribe. Every woman that I met you know, was all into moon rituals, anything metaphysical you know, one of my best friends to this day like who I met when I was in Australia, she’s highly spiritual and we were flat mates for quite a while when I was living in Australia and you know, it was all just very- I think all the metaphysical stuff was just kind of this is the way it is you know, there wasn’t any questions about it, and then I definitely carried that through you know, when I was styling, I was a fashion editor and styled for about 11 years, then I went to uni and did a bit of a psychology degree that I dropped out off, and then I had a comedy show with my best friend and you know, I think that all of these things have got an element of imagination which I think magic is you know, like doing spells, doing magic, you have to have an imagination to look into the otherness and you know, these herbs are magic herbs because I say they’re magic herbs, we believe they’re magic herbs therefore they are magic herbs you know, and I think that everything that I’ve been doing up into the lead up has definitely you know, continuity of either making people feel good in some way, empowering, or just yeah, complete- in my comedy show, just complete escapism and yeah, tapping into your creativity and your imagination.
…When I look back I’m like it just feels like such a natural path that this became my job, I’m so grateful that I had a bit of a vision that this is what I should be doing because it’s definitely- everything definitely aligned and worked out to me when I decided that I’d start making candles you know, just really wanting to empower people and acknowledge that magic could be-it doesn’t- you don’t need all of the accoutrements and all the tools, it doesn’t come from within, you can just have a few simple elements to set an intention.
Tell us what your biggest inspiration is with the work that you do and share?
When I set it up, my intention was to spread cosmic vibes around the world because I really believe in the ripple effect that if you’re feeling good, then you then pass you know, whoever you’re seeing, whether it’s somebody at the bus stop, somebody at the checkout, a friend, a partner, whatever, when you feeling good, you’re feeling magical and empowered and like you have faith in the universe, belief in magic, a belief in some amazing otherness that you are just you know, it has a knock-on effect, I think that’s kind of how we heal the world.
What are your favourite soul or self-care practices right now that you can share with us?
I’ve been really trying to just slow down, slow my mind down, slow my body movements down, just slow everything down, just because I felt you know, very anxious and on edge, I think through everything we’ve been through collectively and it wasn’t even like I was consciously feeling that at the time, it was more of once we’d kind of come out of it and the lockdown was over and just thinking back, but of a PTSD type of feeling. So I’ve just been doing things like I had some yoga therapy which was really amazing and we were just trying to just get me to just- so just things like just you know, twirling my wrist around, twirling my ankles around really, really, really slow, so slow that it almost hurts your brain, like it feels frustrating but that’s just all the neurons just kind of finding a new pathway that everything doesn’t have to be going- I mean I’m doing my hands as I’m speaking to you now.
Tell us what sparks joy in your life, that really, truly lights you up. It could be big or small?
I love my cats, they fill me with joy and I mean you know, when I’m playing with them, I’m doing whatever and I realise that I just have the biggest smile on my face, and my heart is swollen you know, it just- I’m melting and I just think- as I’m kind of in the moment and I just think this is such a pure love that I’m feeling right now or unconditional love, and it just- it feels amazing and I feel every cell of my body glow when I’m having these little moments you know, and I just think the world will be a better place if everybody had cats (Laughter).
During these times that we’re experiencing as a collective, in what ways are you seeing the importance of community?
I did a car boot sale with my friend a few weeks ago, and I spent most of the day in tears but it was tears of joy, watching everybody be sweet with each other. I feel choked now as I’m saying it because it was just beautiful, it was just so many little moments that I was just- it was sound bites that I was getting, people who are coming our stall or me going to other stalls you know, just chatting, just people having a connection with each other you know, meeting strangers and everybody- I can’t remember where I get to read this once but it was something- I love it, it’s something about when strangers meet, they’re almost on their best behaviour you know, like this sort of- it was this sort of kind of lovely human experience of just you know because I use to do car boot sales a lot of years ago and it is a community. You know, it’s a real community of people who are there whether your neighbours on either side of your car, you know, your customers you know, or lots of other people who are regular car booters you know, and it was witnessing that like it was beautiful, just that thing, just people obviously- it’s just strangers, it was just people just having this human experience of connection and it was beautiful and I was yeah, very emotional to see it, it made me so happy, it really filled me with joy but it also was that kind of double edged moment where I thought my gosh, what are all these people- what has everyone gone through you know, but there was this really sweet that moment, and there was this woman who had chemo, she didn’t have any hair, and this other woman went up to her and it was just so- just cute and she wanted to you know, she was kind of wanting to be supportive you know, she just said you know, I love your hair you know, and it was just this- god that really set me off you know, it was just this beautiful moment of support of somebody recognising that somebody they didn’t know had obviously gone through something really challenging and they’re just wanting to go and be kind and be nice, and I just- yeah, it’s just lovely, and I just thought you know, like- sorry.
The woman who had had the cancer like I just- I can’t help but just visualise an entire story of what she’s gone through and how- I know somebody who- a family friend passed away from cancer during lockdown and he was in a hospital bed on his own for months you know, going through the hardship of chemos and you know, I guess I was just thinking about her and I was thinking what she’s been through and it is the support that you have from people you know, people you don’t know, people on the street you know, it’s- that is part of life and yeah, I just felt absolutely heartbroken that that had been taken away from so many people in that moment, you know.
Inspire our Breathe Love community, share an affirmation or a favourite quote, poem, song, or a playlist, is there anything that you’d like to share with us?
This is by L.R Knost, “Life is amazing and then it’s awful and then it’s amazing again, in between the amazing and awful, it’s ordinary and mundane and routine, breathe in the amazing, hold on through the awful, and relax and exhale during the ordinary, that’s just living, heartbreaking, soul healing, amazing, awful, ordinary life, and it’s breathtakingly beautiful”, it touches me.
Share with us something that you are really proud of?
I am proud of where I am, I’m really proud that when I was making decisions to do some you know, career choices or life decisions, I had sensible people around me maybe who didn’t have the same kind of belief that I did in myself, and I think now I must- sometimes I think I don’t but when I reflect I think I must really believe in myself because I really go for it when I want to do something, and despite having friends and family saying why are you giving up this career, why are you doing this you know, unsupportive boyfriends telling me I was mad you know, I’ve just done it, I’ve just kind of ignored them and just done and it’s paid off, and that makes me feel really proud of myself.
What will you never take for granted?
I mean the first thing that comes to mind was my home, I have a completely irrational fear of being homeless. I thank the universe every day and every night for my space.
What are your favourite practices that connect you to heart energy? It could be a tip or a tool, or a, you know, technique?
I think it’s really you know, just connecting- physically connecting with your heart, placing your hands on it, you know, and just really acknowledging all that your heart is doing to keep you going like there’s a meditation I’ve done in the past where you just visualise a little face on your heart and see it smiling at you.
Rest the palms of your hands on your heart centre and take a soft breath and share with us a message that you’ve received from your heart today?
I wish for everybody to realise that happiness can always be found within.
“I wish for everybody to realise that happiness can always be found within.”
Semra Haksever is an eclectic witch, intuitive, healer and empath. Semra Haksever, an eclectic witch, intuitive, healer and empath. She is the creator of Mama Moon Candles and author of 4 four books, Everyday Magic, Love Spells, Mama book of Magic and her new book, Instant Magic Oracle (Out Now)
Instagram @mamamooncandles
Website www.mamamooncandles.com
This interview has been transcribed and taken from our Breathe Love audio series. To listen to Semra’s full interview (recorded September 2021) in full, please click here
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