Jamie Della, Author & Teacher
Jamie Della is an ordained Priestess and the author of nine books, including The Book of Spells: The Magick of Witchcraft and The Wicca Cookbook. She has a writer’s spirit and a faery soul, and she loves to teach, create, throw pottery, and get out in nature.
Her essays, poems and articles have been published by The Manifest Station, Edible Institute Magazine, Rebelle Society, and Sage Woman Magazine. She has an essay in Riverdale Ave Books’ #MeToo anthology and a column called “Herbal Journeys” in Witches & Pagans Magazine. Her honors include “Best Reference Book” from the International Latino Book Awards for the Latino Writers & Journalists and “Book of the Month” for Rogelia’s House of Magic by Las Comadres Para Americas.
Jamie lives in the Eastern Sierra, known as Payahuunadü – Land of the Flowing Water, by the Nüümü – the People (Owens Valley Paiute), who have lived here in our homelands since time immemorial. Diving deep into the wilderness, she vacationed every summer and winter as a child,. Jamie is the mother of a beautiful, smart daughter, two free-spirited, intuitive sons and nana of one righteous babe.
Jamie Della’s Earth Activism
Jamie Della launched the Every Last Drop series: Exposés on the LA/Eastern Sierra water wars. This newsletter features investigative reporting to oust corruption by a corporation LADWP over the people through loopholes, corruption and feet dragging. Keep Long Valley Green is for everyone who believes LADWP should give the people, economy, and ecosystems of Payahuunadu a seat at the table.
Real Earth Designs
Ever since 2016, Jamie has turned to the pottery wheel to meditate and keep creating when the blank page becomes overwhelming. Pottery is an art of the elements earth, water, fire and the air of inspiration, which has birthed many ideas and filled her cupboards with handmade art. Jamie brings her cauldron mugs and salt cellars to festivals and sometimes offers body care products made from wildcrafting herbal allies, most particularly body oils made from the rose hips that grow all around her Eastern Sierra home.
Advice for Coming Out of the Broom Closet
Compelled to break the glass ceiling and walls of secrecy around Magick and Witchcraft, I have always been very public about being a Witch author. The only person to whom I kept my Witchcraft a secret was my Mexican grandfather. When an article was written about my Wiccan practice in the Orange County Register in 2006, my beloved Grandpy wouldn’t speak to me for months. My books have been banned, I have lost work and people. I know what it’s like to be a Witch in the world and so I offer you some advice for coming out of the broom closet on my YouTube Channel.
My neighbor asked why I call myself a Witch. I replied why do you call yourself a woman? I am who I am. The word Witch originated from the word wise. We are wise when we follow the guidance of nature: rest in winter, birth in spring, celebrate in summer, release in fall. But do you have powers, she asks.
“I have no more power than you. The difference is work on my powers everyday by following the wisdom in nature. The Magick lives in me. A Spell is a Prayer in 3 D. My favorite, most visceral example of this is when Donna Reed, in the movie It’s a Wonderful Life, offers a housewarming blessing with bread so the family will never know hunger, salt so they will always know flavor, and wine so they will always know joy and prosperity. Be proud witches. Our path is to follow nature and know we are the Divine creating our best lives through our magnificent Spellcrafting.”
