Fortune Telling On Trial: Beck Ravenswood of The Serpent's Key

We pull three tarot cards for an August 2026 forecast for love, money, and guidance, and land on a deeply down-to-earth theme: love gets sweeter when it’s playful in daily life, and abundance grows when we handle the practical stuff. We talk candidly about financial and energetic strain, and why it's important to commit to follow through. We also have a GoFundMe to support our work on a Romanistan tarot deck, expanding romanistanpodcast.com to be an educational resource, and complete a memoir project. Please share widely and donate if you can. Plus, Paulina's new location for Romani Holistic is San Diego, California, and she is having her open house on 8/8. Stop by if you can, or book a reading with her online. Thank you for listening to Romanistan podcast. Please subscribe, rate, + review, + share with your friends! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @romanistanpodcast. Subscribe to our Patreon to join the conversation and our private community for just $5 a month. Or donate any amount to Ko-fi.com/romanistan. We depend on your support to keep going. You can book readings and events and take workshops with Jez at jezminavonthiele.com, and book readings and holistic healing sessions with Paulina at romaniholistic.com. Follow Jez on Instagram @jezmina.vonthiele & Paulina @romaniholistic. Get our book Secrets of Romani Fortune Telling wherever books are sold. If you love it, write us a review. Visit us at romanistanpodcast.com and email us at [email protected] for inquiries. Romanistan is hosted by Jezmina Von Thiele and Paulina StevensConceived of by Paulina StevensEdited by Viktor PachasMusic by Viktor PachasArtwork by Elijah VardoSupport the show

A police chief sees a Facebook post about tarot readings and decides to enforce a law from 1861. Beck Ravenswood walks us their legal nightmare through after opening The Serpent’s Key, a metaphysical shop in Hanover, Pennsylvania. We trace how anti-fortune-telling laws still criminalize paid divination, why “for entertainment only” disclaimers don’t fix the underlying threat, and how these unconstitutional anti-Romani laws affect everyone, but especially the marginalized.Beck shares the timeline of their lawsuit and what it takes to challenge a Pennsylvania fortune telling ban on First Amendment grounds, including the relief of a temporary injunction and the high stakes of a case that has escalated to the state level. We also talk about the parallel path through House Bill 1562, and why the goal is full repeal, not new licensing barriers that would keep marginalized practitioners at risk.Then public historian and folklorist Rissa Miller joins us for a focused history segment on where these laws come from: British anti-Roma legal traditions, vagrancy and “disorderly persons” policing, and the cultural double standard that labels some spiritual labor respectable while treating Romani-coded practices as fraud. If you read tarot, run a metaphysical business, or care about religious freedom and racial justice, this conversation will change how you see “weird old laws” in the US.Subscribe, share this with a friend who loves tarot or civil rights, and leave a review so more listeners can find Romanistan. What fortune telling laws exist where you live?Thank you for listening to Romanistan podcast. Please subscribe, rate, + review, + share with your friends! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @romanistanpodcast. Subscribe to our Patreon to join the conversation and our private community for just $5 a month. Or donate any amount to Ko-fi.com/romanistan. We depend on your support to keep going. You can book readings and events and take workshops with Jez at jezminavonthiele.com, and book readings and holistic healing sessions with Paulina at romaniholistic.com. Follow Jez on Instagram @jezmina.vonthiele & Paulina @romaniholistic. Get our book Secrets of Romani Fortune Telling wherever books are sold. If you love it, write us a review. Visit us at romanistanpodcast.com and email us at [email protected] for inquiries. Romanistan is hosted by Jezmina Von Thiele and Paulina StevensConceived of by Paulina StevensEdited by Viktor PachasMusic by Viktor PachasArtwork by Elijah VardoSupport the show

We pull tarot for July 2026 and get real about the challenges ahead, from relationship conflict to money pressure to the need for a major perspective shift. We share practical ways to stay grounded, ask better questions, take financial action without shame, and hold boundaries even when forgiveness is part of your healing. Thank you for listening to Romanistan podcast. Please subscribe, rate, + review, + share with your friends! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @romanistanpodcast. Subscribe to our Patreon to join the conversation and our private community for just $5 a month. Or donate any amount to Ko-fi.com/romanistan. We depend on your support to keep going. You can book readings and events and take workshops with Jez at jezminavonthiele.com, and book readings and holistic healing sessions with Paulina at romaniholistic.com. Follow Jez on Instagram @jezmina.vonthiele & Paulina @romaniholistic. Get our book Secrets of Romani Fortune Telling wherever books are sold. If you love it, write us a review. Visit us at romanistanpodcast.com and email us at [email protected] for inquiries. Romanistan is hosted by Jezmina Von Thiele and Paulina StevensConceived of by Paulina StevensEdited by Viktor PachasMusic by Viktor PachasArtwork by Elijah VardoSupport the show

Rootless are a Glasgow-based collective of Romani and Indian musicians united by a shared mission: to honour the deep historical bond between Roma and Indian cultures through music. The band was created by producer Janos and Sodhi, drawn together by the ancient migration story that connects both communities. Their sound fuses Bhangra rhythms with Romani instrumentation, blending folk, Sufi and South Asian influences into something entirely their own. Their debut single "RakiTakitaNana" was covered by EarMilk, Plastic Magazine and Magnetic Magazine among others. Their new single "Dam Mast Qalander" releases June 19th, 2026.Born of the Ando Glaso Collective. Follow @ando_glaso and @rootless64We spoke to Janos Lang - Founder of the band (AG Productions - Roma led multicultural production company), Sarmad Ghafoor - British - Pakistani Music Producer for Rootless, and Matus Jaco ( Guitarist ) .The Romani crushes for this episode are Lulo Reinhardt, Tcha Limberger, Taraf de Haidouks, Roby Lakatos, and Gipsy Kings.Thank you for listening to Romanistan podcast. Please subscribe, rate, + review, + share with your friends! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @romanistanpodcast. Subscribe to our Patreon to join the conversation and our private community for just $5 a month. Or donate any amount to Ko-fi.com/romanistan. We depend on your support to keep going. You can book readings and events and take workshops with Jez at jezminavonthiele.com, and book readings and holistic healing sessions with Paulina at romaniholistic.com. Follow Jez on Instagram @jezmina.vonthiele & Paulina @romaniholistic. Get our book Secrets of Romani Fortune Telling wherever books are sold. If you love it, write us a review. Visit us at romanistanpodcast.com and email us at [email protected] for inquiries. Romanistan is hosted by Jezmina Von Thiele and Paulina StevensConceived of by Paulina StevensEdited by Viktor PachasMusic by Viktor PachasArtwork by Elijah VardoSupport the show

We pull three tarot cards for June and use them as a grounded forecast for love, money, and the kind of leadership that actually changes your day-to-day life. Along the way, we get honest about raising your standards, reframing grief as an extension of love, and trusting your gut when dreams and ancestors feel close. Let us know what you want to hear about for future Q&A episodes!Thank you for listening to Romanistan podcast. Please subscribe, rate, + review, + share with your friends! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @romanistanpodcast. Subscribe to our Patreon to join the conversation and our private community for just $5 a month. Or donate any amount to Ko-fi.com/romanistan. We depend on your support to keep going. You can book readings and events and take workshops with Jez at jezminavonthiele.com, and book readings and holistic healing sessions with Paulina at romaniholistic.com. Follow Jez on Instagram @jezmina.vonthiele & Paulina @romaniholistic. Get our book Secrets of Romani Fortune Telling wherever books are sold. If you love it, write us a review. Visit us at romanistanpodcast.com and email us at [email protected] for inquiries. Romanistan is hosted by Jezmina Von Thiele and Paulina StevensConceived of by Paulina StevensEdited by Viktor PachasMusic by Viktor PachasArtwork by Elijah VardoSupport the show

You have tarot questions and we have answers! We did this Q&A as a little extra research for our second book, Secrets of Romani Tarot, out next year, and our tarot deck, Romanistan Tarot, out the year after. Tell us what you would like us to cover next! We'd love to keep these Q&As going. Or if you want to ask us questions anytime, join the Romanistan Patreon or Jezmina's Patreon. Thank you for listening to Romanistan podcast. Please subscribe, rate, + review, + share with your friends! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @romanistanpodcast. Subscribe to our Patreon to join the conversation and our private community for just $5 a month. Or donate any amount to Ko-fi.com/romanistan. We depend on your support to keep going. You can book readings and events and take workshops with Jez at jezminavonthiele.com, and book readings and holistic healing sessions with Paulina at romaniholistic.com. Follow Jez on Instagram @jezmina.vonthiele & Paulina @romaniholistic. Get our book Secrets of Romani Fortune Telling wherever books are sold. If you love it, write us a review. Visit us at romanistanpodcast.com and email us at [email protected] for inquiries. Romanistan is hosted by Jezmina Von Thiele and Paulina StevensConceived of by Paulina StevensEdited by Viktor PachasMusic by Viktor PachasArtwork by Elijah VardoSupport the show

You're invited to our to a free Tarot Q&A on May 4 at 5 pm pst/ 8 pm est over Zoom, then we pull the cards for May 2026 and get honest about love, money, and guidance for May. King of Pentacles, Page of Pentacles, and Queen of Wands point to stability you can feel, creativity you can act on, and power you can use for yourself and your community. Thank you for listening to Romanistan podcast. Please subscribe, rate, + review, + share with your friends! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @romanistanpodcast. Subscribe to our Patreon to join the conversation and our private community for just $5 a month. Or donate any amount to Ko-fi.com/romanistan. We depend on your support to keep going. You can book readings and events and take workshops with Jez at jezminavonthiele.com, and book readings and holistic healing sessions with Paulina at romaniholistic.com. Follow Jez on Instagram @jezmina.vonthiele & Paulina @romaniholistic. Get our book Secrets of Romani Fortune Telling wherever books are sold. If you love it, write us a review. Visit us at romanistanpodcast.com and email us at [email protected] for inquiries. Romanistan is hosted by Jezmina Von Thiele and Paulina StevensConceived of by Paulina StevensEdited by Viktor PachasMusic by Viktor PachasArtwork by Elijah VardoSupport the show

Jeanette Kerttu is a Romani (Kalderash) scholar and teacher of religion based in Sweden. She holds a Master’s degree in Religious Studies, with a specialization in esotericism, historical magic, occult traditions, and so-called rejected knowledge. Her research focuses on Romani women’s magical practices, both historically and in contemporary contexts, with a comparative perspective between Sweden and the United States. Her work examines the persistence, meaning, and functions of these practices, highlighting their role in shaping cultural identity, empowerment, and social positioning. She argues that such practices have enabled Romani women to transform marginalization into forms of authority, leadership, and economic agency.Follow Jeanette on Instagram @jeanettekerttuThe Romani crush for this episode is Carmen Amaya.Thank you for listening to Romanistan podcast. Please subscribe, rate, + review, + share with your friends! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @romanistanpodcast. Subscribe to our Patreon to join the conversation and our private community for just $5 a month. Or donate any amount to Ko-fi.com/romanistan. We depend on your support to keep going. You can book readings and events and take workshops with Jez at jezminavonthiele.com, and book readings and holistic healing sessions with Paulina at romaniholistic.com. Follow Jez on Instagram @jezmina.vonthiele & Paulina @romaniholistic. Get our book Secrets of Romani Fortune Telling wherever books are sold. If you love it, write us a review. Visit us at romanistanpodcast.com and email us at [email protected] for inquiries. Romanistan is hosted by Jezmina Von Thiele and Paulina StevensConceived of by Paulina StevensEdited by Viktor PachasMusic by Viktor PachasArtwork by Elijah VardoSupport the show

We pulled some tarot cards for April 2026 and get practical about patience in love, creativity around money, and what conflict reveals when the world feels tense. We weigh reciprocity, emotional spending patterns, and the kind of local community care that helps us keep going. Thank you for listening to Romanistan podcast. Please subscribe, rate, + review, + share with your friends! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @romanistanpodcast. Subscribe to our Patreon to join the conversation and our private community for just $5 a month. Or donate any amount to Ko-fi.com/romanistan. We depend on your support to keep going. You can book readings and events and take workshops with Jez at jezminavonthiele.com, and book readings and holistic healing sessions with Paulina at romaniholistic.com. Follow Jez on Instagram @jezmina.vonthiele & Paulina @romaniholistic. Get our book Secrets of Romani Fortune Telling wherever books are sold. If you love it, write us a review. Visit us at romanistanpodcast.com and email us at [email protected] for inquiries. Romanistan is hosted by Jezmina Von Thiele and Paulina StevensConceived of by Paulina StevensEdited by Viktor PachasMusic by Viktor PachasArtwork by Elijah VardoSupport the show

Mark Baillie’s debut novel Salvage was published by Tippermuir Books in 2024 and featured in Book Week Scotland’s debut showcase. Mark’s short fiction has appeared in Livina Press, Analogies and Allegories Literary Journal, Zin Daily and Bubble Magazine. His non-fiction has featured in History Scotland, Travellers’ Times, and Mark's research into press bias against Travellers was published in the Journal of Media Ethics.Our Traveller crushes this episode are Dr. Lynne Tammi-Connelly and Shamus McPhee.Thank you for listening to Romanistan podcast. Please subscribe, rate, + review, + share with your friends! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @romanistanpodcast. Subscribe to our Patreon to join the conversation and our private community for just $5 a month. Or donate any amount to Ko-fi.com/romanistan. We depend on your support to keep going. You can book readings and events and take workshops with Jez at jezminavonthiele.com, and book readings and holistic healing sessions with Paulina at romaniholistic.com. Follow Jez on Instagram @jezmina.vonthiele & Paulina @romaniholistic. Get our book Secrets of Romani Fortune Telling wherever books are sold. If you love it, write us a review. Visit us at romanistanpodcast.com and email us at [email protected] for inquiries. Romanistan is hosted by Jezmina Von Thiele and Paulina StevensConceived of by Paulina StevensEdited by Viktor PachasMusic by Viktor PachasArtwork by Elijah VardoSupport the show