Woo Wednesday

NOLA Edition

Hello Friends! I’m writing to you from the Big Easy, which is WOO in and of itself. This week’s Woo Wednesday is full of fun treasures I’ve found here and some of my favorite places to visit if you’re ever in New Orleans.

Woo Woo

I couldn’t help myself. When I saw this Modern Witch tarot at a shop called Skull Paradise in the French Quarter I had to have it. Y’all know I have the Everyday Witch tarot, but this is a more contemporary interpretation of the Rider-Wait deck.

What I love about it is that it’s inclusive—lots of people of color, which is not something you often see in tarot. All of the cards are women, too, but large and small bodies, different expressions of gender, and ages are represented.

Also? The images are of contemporary settings, which makes the symbolism less arcane and archaic and more easily interpreted. For example, the Ten of Swords card, shows a woman surround by swords while she stares at her phone. So relatable.

If you’re a tarot nut check it out. I’ll also be doing the Tarot Friday post using this deck, so make sure you’re subscribed.

Woo Art

I’m an art fanatic and I spend a lot of my time in New Orleans strolling up and down Royal Street, which has several art galleries. I also stop in to see what new pieces they’re carrying and to chat with the gallery owners about what’s happening in the art scene here. I’ve tried to support a lot of local artists by buying their work or following them on Instagram.

All that said, I am not an art snob. It’s sort of the same with books. I enjoy literary works, but I also love a good page-turner. There’s value in all of it.

This is how last night, when I wandered into Boutique du Vampyre, I ended up buying this beauty.

His name is “Nofuratu” and I love him. If you’ve read my books, you know I have a certain affinity for hairless cats—normally in demon form, but I couldn’t resist this dapper vampire. He’ll come home with me and have a special place in my office.

(Apologies for the wonky upload. Substack isn’t very user friendly when it comes to images)

Woo Food

New Orleans is a food town. The old joke is that you go to lunch to plan what you’re going to have for dinner. Even though the French Quarter is pretty touristy, most of the restaurants down here are the real deal. Bourbon Street is by far the most touristy, but you can still find some gems, like Clover Grill and NOLA Poboys.

Every time I come to town, which is pretty often, my first stop is usually Napoleon House. They’re famous for their Pimm’s Cups and Old Fashioned, but their food is out of sight. My favorite thing to order is the muffuletta with a side of potato salad, but I’ve never had a bad meal. It gets bonus points for atmosphere with its faded plaster walls and dim lighting. Also, it will also hold a special place in my heart because of that night Nicole Peeler and I sat at the bar in nun’s habits, but that’s a story for another time.

I could probably start an entire newsletter focused on New Orleans food, so I’ll stop here. Just know it’s pretty hard to find a bad meal here.

Have you been to New Orleans? What was your favorite meal?