“”

Women's Health, Your Way

January 21, 2026

Ask & Search With Clara

Welcome to a new standard for women’s health answers.

GIRLHOOD / Keep Your (Witchy) Friends Close

Keep Your (Witchy) Friends Close

Keep Your (Witchy) Friends Close

Last weekend was full of lots of girlfriend time, which — for a mom of three — is few and far between, deeply needed, and never (ever) taken for granted. On Saturday, a bunch of us went out for wine and apps. On Sunday, we regrouped with the husbands and kids to debrief, watch football, and… casually dabble in some tarot readings.

Yes, you read that right.

One of my closest friends reads tarot, collects crystals, and keeps sage next to her bed like someone who absolutely would have been burned at the stake in the 1800s. And honestly… it tracks.

It tracks because we don’t really do typical mom small talk. We’re bad at it. We don’t want to linger on snack logistics or carpool calendars (important, but not our calling). We want to know the real you — the thing you’re circling but haven’t said out loud yet, even if it makes you a little uncomfortable.

These are newer friends, too, which somehow makes the whole thing funnier. At one point, one woman, still assessing the vibe, laughed and asked, “Is this… normal?” Without missing a beat, I said, “Welcome. We’re not regular mom friends. We’re witchy mom friends.” Everyone laughed. She stayed, which felt like the point.

Because what we were really doing wasn’t fortune-telling. It was skipping the pleasantries and creating space to say things like, “I think I want more,” or “Why does this feel harder for me than it seems to for everyone else?”

That same friend is also the one who gently helped me recognize my own ADHD: the kind of person who notices patterns before you do and says something when it matters. Looking back, it explains a lot.

Maybe that’s why none of this feels that strange. I’ve always been the kind of person who senses when something’s off before I can fully explain it, who wants to talk things through instead of letting them sit and get heavier than they need to be.

Motherhood can shrink your world if you let it. These women expand mine, reminding me that intuition isn’t mystical at all; it’s just paying attention.

So yes, keep your friends close, especially the witchy ones. They’re not here for the small talk. They’re here for the truth.

More from GIRLHOOD

I’m currently three months overdue for a breast MRI. Not because I forgot or decided to live dangerously, but because staying ahead of your health sometimes feels like it requires... Read more
The other day, I got my period on cycle day 30, and my first thought was: Didn’t I just have this? Which is funny, because for most of my life,... Read more
Next week would have been my best friend’s 37th birthday. She died of breast cancer almost six years ago, and tucked away in my nightstand is a note she wrote... Read more
In a meeting recently, one of my colleagues was practically giddy about how much watchable, readable, and listenable content exists right now. She started listing shows, books, podcasts, even soundtracks,... Read more
This might be a controversial take, but if you’re a millennial woman who grew up in the ’90s and early 2000s, there’s a decent chance body image issues were a... Read more
The other night, I did what so many of us do when something feels off: I Googled it. Not a 2 a.m. WebMD spiral; just a quick scroll while brushing my... Read more

Life After the Longest Wait

My third IVF baby just turned one, which feels impossible, emotional, and, if I’m being honest, slightly disorienting. There were tears, obviously, but also something else: a strange clarity. Like... Read more
We recently shared a meme on Rescripted that said, “If you saw Mean Girls in theaters, it’s time to schedule a mammogram.” It was meant to be light and nostalgic —... Read more
I’ll never forget when a high school acquaintance once said to me, “Kristyn, I love how you’ve always had your own personal style.” At the time, I don’t think I... Read more

The Legacy We Leave

Needless to say, it’s been an extremely sad news week. One of those weeks where every time you open your phone, your chest tightens just a little bit more. They... Read more