Hello, I'm Lauri

I am Lauri Mukkala, and I write The Esoteric Witch from Finland. I read tarot, write beginner books about tarot and witchcraft, study the old grimoires and spend a lot of time in museum archives looking at paintings.

My story

I am a Finnish writer of practical witchcraft and tarot. Everything I write puts history first: not to spoil the magic, but so that you know what you are standing on. Tarot began as a card game in 15th century Italy, and the link to ancient Egypt was invented in Paris in 1781. Knowing that does not make the cards less interesting. It lets you see the layers: the game, the art, the occult revival and the modern reader at a kitchen table.

What I write about and what I do not

I write about tarot, witchcraft, runes, the Ars Goetia, art history and three figures many readers are drawn to: Hekate, Lilith and Lucifer. I write for beginners, in plain language, with sources.

There are things I do not write, and will not:

• No curses or harm magic. I explain the history of curse tablets and witch trials, but I do not teach anyone how to hurt or control another person.
• No fear. Nothing on this site is meant to frighten you into buying something or doing something. Reading about a spirit or a card cannot harm you.
• No medical, legal or money promises. Practice can help you think and notice. It does not replace a doctor, a therapist or a lawyer, and I will never tell you that a ritual will bring you money or love.
• No invented history. When something is a modern idea, I say so.

My books

My series, The Novice’s Guides, started with The Novice’s Guide to Tarot and The Novice’s Guide to Witchcraft. For busy days there is The 5-Minute Witch, for a private practice The Closet Witch, and for parents The Magical Child. You can see them all, in reading order, on the books page.

The free courses in the School never require a book.

How I make content

Each guide starts from my own books and from a reference shelf of primary sources and scholarship: the 1909 Rider-Waite-Smith deck, the 1904 Mathers and Crowley Goetia, Reginald Scot’s Discoverie of Witchcraft from 1584, the rune poems, and museum open-access records. I label what is historical, what is later tradition and what is modern practice. I use only public-domain art, open museum images, free stock photos or simple drawings made for this site. Nothing goes live until I have read it and approved it.

You can read the whole process, including how I correct mistakes, in how I make content.

Readings on Etsy: how I read

I also offer tarot readings through my Etsy shop. When you order a reading, I shuffle and pull the cards myself, film the pull and send you a written PDF reading with images of your cards, usually within 24 hours.

I read the cards as a mirror and a conversation, not as a fixed fate. A reading is a reflection to think with. It is for entertainment and reflection, and only for adults (18+). It cannot replace medical, legal or financial advice.

Where else to find me

• Newsletter: my Substack, The Esoteric Witch, with longer essays on tarot history, witchcraft and art. New subscribers get my free Mini-Grimoire by email.

• Instagram: @theesotericwitch

• Facebook: The Esoteric Witch

• YouTube and Pinterest: short videos about cards, runes and the moon, and pinboards of public-domain art.

• My author site: laurimukkala.com, where I keep everything about my books and my writing.

Contact

If you have a question, spot a mistake or want to suggest a topic, I would love to hear from you. Use the contact page. I read every message, although I cannot give personal readings or advice by email. For readings, please use the Etsy shop.

If you would like to begin right away, start the free tarot course or browse my books.