The Making of a Modern Magician: Embracing the Weirdo Within by Mariia Snebjørk Damkjær
Two days before All Hallows' Eve and a few days before the Day of the Dead in 1980, a little Scorpio was born in a small local hospital in the countryside of southern Sealand, Denmark. My parents didn’t know or care much about these “occult” dates, as they weren't particularly spiritual. They were too busy tending to the vegetable garden, chickens, and goats. Dad worked the fields and welded, all while hiding a drinking problem in plain sight, and Mom was a traditional, hard working housewife, concealing her own mental health struggles. That Scorpio baby was me, and this is the short version of how I, a working-class kid from a non-spiritual family, became an unapologetic and authentic modern magician—or, basically, a happy weirdo.
From the very beginning, I was a weird, outspoken, brutally honest kid with a keen interest in the darker sides of life. I spent my time in the woods collecting bones, plants, and cool rocks, talking to animals and believing they understood me. I made clay “voodoo dolls” in the creek near my house, read witchy books, and tried out the spells I found in them. I remember riding my yellow bike to my great-grandmother's house because I needed a ring from a deceased person for a spell. I don’t remember what kind of spell it was or what happened to the ring, but my great-grandmother was sweet and understanding and gave me a ring for my childish witchcraft. Another fond memory is almost burning down my room while creating a voodoo doll from hot wax; it caught fire in my closed curtains and caused a minor explosion. Good times!
I dreamt of becoming a psychologist or author when I grew up and I read every book on anything remotely witchy, fairytale or horror-ish, occult or weird in the local library. But as time went on and my family life became more dysfunctional, including my parents’ divorce, drinking problems, and a few stepdads with loose fits (and my mom on the receiving end), my interest in the occult and witchcraft was overshadowed by my desire to escape. I left home at the age of 13, for three years to attend a Danish “hippie” style boarding school called “Efterskole,” where we did creative stuff, played music, and secretly smoked weed. When I was almost 17, I moved to the "big and exciting" capital of Denmark, Copenhagen.
As a teenager living on my own with little support from home, I inevitably got into trouble—lots of “sex, drugs (mainly weed), and punk’n’roll.” Thanks to an incredible intuition, I managed to avoid any serious or life-threatening situations, steering clear of the worst kinds of trouble, though I did engage in many unbelievably stupid and potentially dangerous activities with questionable company. I traveled Europe backpack-style with little to no money in my pocket, fueled by a deep sense of wanderlust and a foolish belief that everything would somehow work out for me—and it always did. I worked odd jobs and found creative solutions to get by. My witchy ways seemed further away than ever. Over the years, I pursued various creative educational programs in photography, sewing, design and more (it's worth noting that education is free in Denmark and you actually get paid to study, a fact that saved my life and sanity).
In my early twenties, I met my soulmate, whom I’m still with today. I started to settle down, got an education in sales that would actually make me some real money, and spent roughly ten years working long hours in the corporate world within the design industry at some of the most prestigious brand head offices. We bought our dream house in the suburbs of Copenhagen, filled it with design classics, traveled a lot, and everything seemed great on paper. I was breaking the generational curse of my working-class upbringing in rural Denmark and the punk mindset of my youth.
But deep down, I was never happy, never really satisfied, and always had a nagging feeling that I was missing out on something important. I lived for the lunch breaks, weekends, vacations, and shopping sprees. The witchy and occult world was merely reading the odd horoscope in the newspaper or watching a documentary on witch hunts. The only thing that actually filled me with joy was my relationship with my soulmate and our late beloved fur baby.
And then COVID-19 hit.
I lost my good job and was thrown into an existential crisis—or rather, an existential epiphany! Suddenly, I felt free for the first time since I was a kid (how ironic!). Thanks to good unemployment insurance, lockdown restrictions, and being a Danish citizen, I managed to take eight months off the grind. Those eight months completely changed the course of my life. Less than a week after being laid off, my spiritual awakening hit me. I realized I had to make significant changes and that the answers I was seeking weren’t on LinkedIn or through conventional channels.
I went to see an astrologer as soon as the lockdown lifted a bit. She called me a “marshmallow in a tank” and asked if I ever talked to “those upstairs.” Long story short, her insights made me realize I needed to look towards the world of occultism to find my answers. My old tarot cards had been collecting dust for years but were now calling to me loudly. Unlike before, I was actually scared of them. They had been a toy for drunken girls’ nights and a tool for quick answers in crises for many years, but now they seemed much more significant. I knew the cards held the answers I sought, but I also knew it wouldn’t be an easy journey.
Intrigued, I joined a beginners' online tarot course without touching the cards until halfway through when I had to. From there, everything started to make sense. The cards provided inspiration, affirmation, guidance, and brutal truths, kicking me in the teeth and presenting scary challenges. The grown-up Scorpio baby had finally found a tool that could match the “marshmallow in the tank.” The tarot became my trusted partner-in-crime, my tool for decision-making and dilemmas, and an invaluable sparring partner in my creative process as a designer. And later, a supplementary source of income. They even made me go back to school and get my degree in Marketing & Communication Design.
With my spiritual awakening and the tarot cards, countless magical experiences followed, leading me down an endless and amazing rabbit hole. I founded the Copenhagen Occult Club, where I host witchy and occult-themed events throughout the year. Recently, we held a highly successful Witch Market, and I’ve created a small community of like-minded individuals, making new friends who are as wonderfully weird as I am.
My new life path has opened doors to experiences the old Maria (with one "i") could never have imagined. I've given a lecture on tarot spells and social media at an occult conference in Berlin, collaborated with a prominent art museum to showcase my witchy designs like spell kits and travel altars, and, perhaps most proudly, become an author of a tarot guidebook for a deck with illustrations by one of my absolute favorite occult artists. Since deciding to follow my true calling, countless wild and amazing things have happened, constantly filling me with new ideas and magical visions. As Freddie Mercury said, “Don’t stop me now 'cause I’m having such a good time.” This path is no longer a choice; it's the only way for me. That's what happens when you start to truly listen to that loud inner calling from above, as well as below. The journey has only just begun.
The witchy kid who roamed the woods searching for bones would be proud of the adult card-slinging weirdo I turned out to be.
Mariia Snebjørk Damkjær is a professional tarot reader, published author, witchy event curator, occult designer, and proud weirdo. She founded the Copenhagen Occult Club and wrote the guidebook for Earth Magick Tarot, illustrated by Daniel Martin Diaz. Her collaborations include projects with Copenhagen Contemporary - Modern Art Museum, Hotel 25Hours, Zadig & Voltaire, Copenhell Festival and the Occulture Conference in Berlin. Currently, she is working on a workbook for an elemental tarot deck titled "Dark As Day Tarot," a passion project with her husband, a multi-creative graphic designer. The workbook features spells, color magick rituals, and a modern take on traditional tarot.
IG: @youluckydevil_tarot + @copenhagenoccultclub + @darkasday_tarot
