It started with making mud potions in the forests of Northern Idaho, and now Josie Stanfield, activist, community leader and self-proclaimed witch, shared her story inside her Redmond store — WitchCrafting with Josie — just weeks from opening. Growing up in a predominately white family — and state — as a Black woman, Stanfield often wandered the outdoors alone, feeling a deep spiritual connection to nature. And that extended to witchcraft, too.
She said contrary to popular belief, witchcraft isn’t necessarily anti-religion. Instead, it means subscribing to what makes her, or any fellow witch, feel empowered. She pointed out its intrinsic ties to women’s rights and autonomy, citing the Salem Witch Trials as an example; property disputes were one of the leading reasons for the accusations.
But more than that, Stanfield said witchcraft enables her to connect with both her ancestors after colonization ripped them from their homeland.
“They weren’t allowed to use any of the herbs that they had back home or any of the remedies… so just being able to do that again and in the open and in spite, it feels a little bit good, I can’t lie,” she said.
have been sold across multiple stores such as Moonchild Artistry, Veil and Vixen, Nature’s Bling, Cosmic Depot and Livingscapes PDX. Credit: Ray Randall
She said she wants the store to be used as a communal safe space for learning and exploring witchcraft, gesturing to the small selection of resident books, and that the table in the center of the room is intended to function as part of a classroom. Stanfield said this progress also feels a part of her own personal journey, stepping away as a leader on the forefront of local activism and instead making space for the next generation of leaders.
Though her store’s stock consists primarily of her hand-poured candles, Stanfield said it’s more than a candle shop. What’s more, “You are the magic … this candle doesn’t work without you. The gemstones don’t work without you. The herbs don’t brew themselves,” she added.
Furnishing her brick-and-mortar store from the ground up, Stanfield said, made her feel like Tiana Rogers from “Princess and the Frog,” who had to build her dream restaurant from scratch. Similarly, Stanfield faced several rejections when applying for a storefront in Bend, and though it was never stated, she was sure it was related to her store’s content, if not also her race.
Since acquiring the space she went to extensive lengths to renovate it by painting the interior, scrubbing away grime and building furniture. It’s been a collaborating experience involving community members with hands-on work and networking with community artists to help them gain exposure; most notably Allie Blanchard – known for her large murals found throughout Bend.
WitchCrafting with Josie began in her home in 2019, selling mostly to friends. By the end of 2020 she was a single mother supporting two kids; it was here she went full steam on her business. “There was no way that I was letting them down,” she asserted.
It was that same year she started an online storefront. She came into her current storefront on NW Greenwood Avenue and Fifth Street, in the spring of 2026, with the aid of fellow community activist, Katherina Barguil, and Marcos Rodriguez, who owns the building housing the Hola! restaurant, Stanfield’s store and a soon-to-be-open Mexican bakery.
“I don’t want to say it feels unreal, ‘cause I know that it’s real. I made this happen. I’ve worked my ass off. But it does … because you don’t see witches being able to be out in the open like this, making businesses with witchcraft on the sign …. I feel like my life has kind of had this weird, common theme since I was a child, that if there’s a glass ceiling to break, I’m going to break that motherf-,” Stanfield said. She anticipates the store’s grand opening by mid-May.
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