Meet Lacey Conine of Hype Priestess in Santa Ana

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lacey Conine.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Lacey. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
For 15 years, I devoted my life to the action sports retail world, working for the largest retailer in the world. At my peak, I was the district manager of Orange County. I loved my job, and had an amazing life because of my income – but ultimately, something was off. I knew in my heart this wasn’t what I wanted to be doing for the rest of my life. Five years prior to me leaving my career for my self, I became overworked, exhausted, and suffered from a massive burn out. The result was depression and clinical anxiety. This is what we would consider a “dark night of the soul” moment in our community, where our lives are ultimately transformed because of one incident. I was of course immediately prescribed tons of pills, and all through those are important for some people to take, I knew they weren’t going to work for me. So I decided to go another route. I found crystal healing right away and being from the spiritual community of Ashland Oregon, originally, it seemed second nature.

When the crystals (plus intention, working on myself, and allowing myself to feel and process) began to work for my depression, I delved further in with tarot on the suggestion of one of my best friends who was also secretly depressed, and a closeted tarot reader. Picking up my first deck, I knew this was it for me. It reflected EVERY SINGLE THING I was experiencing every single day for months back to me, and it helped me grow, and to process.

Eventually, in 2015, I began an online store for tarot and crystals. In 2018, I became a certified level II Reiki practitioner, and I am now also a certified channeled healer. I left my cushy career in September 2018, and I’ve never looked back. I now operate my shop/services as an intuitive life coach and tarot reader by appointment only for in-person and distance (online) sessions, I have a Podcast called The Brew Witchcast, I serve the community and teach classes and hold group workshops, and I also host a monthly Witch themed art walk in Santa Ana called the Witch Walk which has proven massive success for vendors as well as the city and local community.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The biggest struggle for me was actually leaving my career to do what I love and step into my authenticity. That’s because of how our society operates. Everyone is taught to be afraid, to not venture off on your own, that you can’t survive without someone else writing you a paycheck – and that’s just not true. I’ve had to work hard on myself for the past ten months to heal my relationship with Money and abundance, and ultimately, my self WORTH and VALUE. When you leave corporate America, no matter how “cool” your job is, you have to un-learn almost everything you’ve been taught about how to cultivate money, what a schedule looks like, and also what it’s like to live a life for yourself, not someone else.

Once I started working on myself deeply, I started healing past traumas and letting myself FEEL things. Things I hadn’t felt in years. I was elevating, and routines, jobs, and people started dropping out of my life so that the right things could take their place. The only other time I’ve experienced hardcore volatile issues, which were ultimately linked to my fears of making money for myself, was actually launching the website and trying to take payments for my services (which, let’s face it, is everyone entrepreneurs biggest fear that they’ll start a business and won’t get sales – but I literally COULDN’T process sales).

Because I’m considered a “psychic” (which I don’t personally identify with, but that’s how “the man” lumps us all together) I am considered a “high risk” business, and so website companies aren’t willing to take your payments for you in fear of fraud. For me, personally, on a spiritual level, I was blocked from making money for myself because there was a trauma I needed to work through! Once I focused on that internal issue, and with the help of my web developer, I was ultimately able to unblock myself both spiritually and literally on my website. It took three months to figure out my website issues, and thankfully I have an INCREDIBLE web developer who helped me through the technical side of things, and now I’m able to take bookings and sell my crystals through my website! I just don’t think, in those three months, that I was spiritually and energetically ready to take on the work that I’m doing now. 99% of the time there’s a spiritual reason something isn’t going “smoothly” for you – you just have to be critical in looking within to see if you’re blocking yourself from having the things you think you want.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Hype Priestess – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
So it has been a very long journey to discovering what I am, and who I am, and what are my true talents – and it actually continues to morph and change daily, as anyone who runs their own business knows. Firstly, I am a Witch and community influence and advocate for BI-POC, LGBTQ, Womxn and non-binary, and any marginalized peoples, be it age, ability, color, sex, etc. I have built my Instagram “brand” platform around giving the voiceless a voice. And I sure as hell use mine! I am not for everyone, and I know that, but I deliver blunt messages with love, to spread awareness – and I also like to have fun while doing it. (At least I think I’m funny!) My business ranges from one on one sessions, to group work and classes, to city Art Walks and events!

In my one on one sessions, I use my intuition and my connection with my guides and ancestors to access information about people to help them with their traumas and blocks. I use different modalities such as channeling, sound, reiki, tarot, oracle cards, aromatherapy, guided meditations, and more. I am able to do these locally in person, or distance through online (energy doesn’t play by the same rules as the physical body, folks!) For group work, I am generally working with a partner and we hold space for around 10 people at a time, but I have worked events with up to 50 people. I offer bridal shower reiki sessions, party bookings, etc. for tarot and healing services. I range from super fun events to very serious deep healing trauma work.

For the Witch Walk, my witch-themed Art Walk, I have 26 booths that are in extremely high demand for witches, healers, astrologers, crafters, tarot readers, and artists in Santa Ana. We just had our first event June 15th and we could not have predicted a better outcome. The city made money, all vendors made money, the customers and community had an incredible time, and we made noise about being a modern WITCH! The Witch Walk occurs the third Saturday of every month on 2nd street and Broadway in the courtyard near the Gypsy Den Cafe in Santa Ana CA, and we don’t see the success slowing down any time soon!

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I think the most prominent thing for me right now is Witch Walk that I have created to give back to firstly my coven of sister Witches, and to my community in Santa Ana, which is the most beautiful diverse city I could have dreamed of to open up shop in. If I could do Witch Walk full time and help MASS amounts of people at once, and give people a platform and a voice, that would make me so happy. I love working with people, I love the community, and I am a Leo sun sign and Capricorn Rising (for any astrologers out there – Leo stellium in the 7th house, Mars Mercury Venus and Sun) so I was kind of born to do this work!

I am so excited about my FRIENDS and their platforms opening up in regards to this. So many of my friends have had dreams that they’re now able to achieve because of things like Witch Walk, and because of us all working together and supporting one another. My friends/coven are so special because we actually pay one another for our services, and we each have a special role and a value to add to our mini-collective. They inspire me, and they are my true muses for Witch Walk. My big big big picture plan is to have a storefront – but I don’t want to give too many details because I have a theme, and it’s badass! I can’t let people in just yet! And, as a personal goal, I would love to be able to buy myself a new car! GOALS!

And finally, while going through this interview process for the magazine, I snagged a bigger office location in my building! So I am now in an office twice the size that will be opened up not only for one on one sessions but for collective community group work as well, from divine masculine, child courses, classes, as well as having group healers, speakers discussing appropriation in the healing industry. I also hope this opens up a platform for more Womxn, especially Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BI-POC) to use their voices, as well as LGBTQIA+, and any marginalized people. I am opening this office space with my business partner Maria who will be teaching spiritual development and protection courses with me, as well as doing one on one sessions.

Pricing:

• One on One Intuitive Coaching sessions $166
• Couples Sessions $222 (family, partners, best friends, co-workers, etc)
• 45 Minute Tarot Reading $75

Contact Info:

• Address: 404 W. 4th Street Suite K
  Santa Ana CA 92701
• Website: www.hypepriestess.com
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/hypepriestess
• Facebook: www.Facebook.com/hypepriestess
• Other: www.patreon.com/hypepriestess

Image Credit:
Photos of me by: @RaeMystic www.RaeMystic.com 2019; Photos of Witch Walk event by Natalie Wright @TheVineWitch 2019

Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.