Hi! I’m Justine De Persia (she/her). I’m a white, queer, cis, femme living with chronic pain. I reside just north of New York City on the ancestral land of the Lenape and Wappinger people.

When I’m not slinging cards or coaching clients, I’m a leadership educator who creates meaningful experiences for students as they engage with university life.

I stole my first tarot deck from my mom when I was a teenager, a traditional Smith-Rider-Waite deck published in the 1970s. During middle school, I was inspired to study witchcraft, and she nurtured my interest through her consistent practice of purchasing whatever books I wanted at the bookstore or in the Scholastic brochures I received at school. Thanks Mom!

I follow the rhythms of the seasons and cycles of the moon, and connect with a robust community of witches, tarot readers, and healers who are interested in serving the collective in alignment with liberatory praxis.

I became interested in coaching after nearly fifteen years of advising students academically and in the context of supporting student leaders who held leadership roles on campus. I realized my most impactful conversations happened when I took a broader view of what was going on for each student, and instead of just telling them where to go, who to talk to, or making a task list or calendar for them, I actively engaged them in figuring out these answers for themselves.

In addition to the benefits of practices like therapy and journaling for self-reflection, I recognized how necessary it is to have focused conversations about personal and professional growth that look towards the future not just with dreams or wishes, but with purposeful, actionable plans.

I’ve learned that the alchemy of transformation and manifestation is only possible when we’re well-resourced and have mapped out a desired goal into clear, manageable, and inspiring steps. By experiencing coaching from the inside out, I feel confident that I can cultivate lasting change in my life, and support others through similar transformation. I have completed a certification in Executive Coaching from New York University, and I am currently pursuing International Coaching Federation accreditation.

For over ten years I performed with the activist marching band, the Rude Mechanical Orchestra, a musical and political project that works in solidarity with radical social justice movements throughout New York City.

My hobbies include embroidery, trying out new recipes, listening to brass bands, reading speculative fiction, and exploring local parks with my wife, child, and our pup, Red. Oh, and I’m also mom to two 17 year old feline siblings, Hades and Boo Boo.