Joe Zuchowski is an icon of the New York City witch community, as a reader, coven leader, and teacher.
He and his partner Jezibell Anat formed the famed “Joe and Jezibell” duo, who ran the Pagan Grove for years in the back of the original Enchantments on Ninth Street in the East Village. Hundreds of NYC witches went through the year-long program and many others continued on to initiation as part of their Kyklos von Asterion coven.
The couple has since relocated to Georgia, but they continue their involvement in the magical community.
Zuchowski’s readings combine tarot, numerology, and runes. He takes a pragmatic and no-nonsense approach to his spiritual counseling.
“I do not believe in sugar-coating things,” he says. “If you want the truth from me – I will give it to you. Particularly when it comes to love and relationships, you need to lay it on the line.”
When you get a reading from Zuchowski, you get the wisdom of his 40 years of experience as a reader and worker in the esoteric community.
He takes the superstition out of witchcraft and the occult and approaches magic through a historical lens. His readings are blunt, humorous, entertaining, as well as enlightening.
“There is nothing 100 percent certainty in the world, other than the fact that we will all die someday,” he says. “Particularly in relationship readings, some people will not accept the fact that their lover may not come back. But maybe the right question you should be asking yourself is what did to make your lover leave?”
In Georgia, Joe and Jezibell run a monthly open circle at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Augusta. Joe has also returned to acting and has performed in local theater, as well as in independent films. He recently wrote the screenplay for a short film called “Swing Low,” which will make its debut at the Poison Peach Film Festival in January.
Zuchowski, a New Jersey native, came of age as a witch in Manhattan, hanging out in the east and west village and learning from some of the best occultists of that time. Joe notes that, when he became a witch, it was in the 1970s, when “you had to know someone who knew someone,” since witchcraft was not accessible the way it has become.
“New York really is very unique when it comes to witchcraft,” he says. “We are willing to experiment and take chance. New York witches have Moxy. There are so many pockets of culture and languages spoken there. Everyone learns from everyone
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