The Good Page features positive LGBTQ+ news in Central Florida and Tampa Bay, uplifting and inspiring stories highlighting locals in our community. In this issue we detail Arcana in Gulfport.
The business opened its doors in June, bringing a new kind of metaphysical space to a city already known for its creativity and culture. For founder Lindsay Caskey, the shop is much more than a place to buy ritual tools or book a reading; it is a community hub built on spirituality, safety and genuine connection.
Her path to creating Arcana was shaped by years of reading tarot cards throughout Tampa Bay, watching people search for grounding during uncertain times. She watched them turn inward during the pandemic, seeking meditation, ritual and spiritual practices that helped them cope with isolation.
“I noticed online that there were a lot of people gravitating more towards their spirituality, towards meditation and things that were good for them,” she explains. “Then we entered a period of such isolation, and I think that when it comes to a community, especially a spiritual one, there was a space that really needed that.”
Arcana is not an outsider’s project. Her connection to Gulfport shapes everything about the shop, from the tone she sets to the values she leads with. “I’m born and raised here,” she explains. “I’m adding to a community that I grew up in.”
Arcana offers a wide range of services.
“Different modalities in regard to divination are really important,” she notes. “There are some people that may be more drawn to astrology. There may be the person that sits down and says, ‘I need an old‑fashioned card reading.’ … There’s something for everybody.”
She never wanted Arcana to lean toward one belief system or practice. She sees it as “more eclectic and one‑size‑fits‑all, so that everybody can feel included.”
That commitment extends to the practitioners who work inside the shop. Caskey’s approach to curating tools and supplies is equally personal as well, since most of Arcana’s products are handmade.
“We have stayed away from mass‑produced things as much as possible,” she notes. “When it comes to ritual products, they’re either made by me, somebody that’s local or somebody that I know that is not local but is still a witch in her house.”
Inclusivity is central to Arcana’s identity.
“Whatever the owner feels is kind of an energy that sets the tone,” she says. “Especially in today’s climate, the biggest thing for me is for people in the LGBTQIA+ community to feel extremely safe and included in my space. I don’t want any gray area for them or anyone to question what my views and support is.”
Her policy is simple. “I’ve got a very zero hate tolerance,” she says. “I am very ready and willing to exercise my right to kick anybody out or exclude anybody that is hateful or that does not support that community.”
Queer artists and creators have become a natural part of Arcana’s identity. “That’s something that has been very magical to me all my life,” she notes. “Especially being in the art community and being in a spiritual community, we just kind of gravitate towards each other. Somehow they find me, I find them.”
She adds, laughing, “All of my best friends are gay. I’m literally the only hetero relationship. I always make jokes that it’s the biggest blessing. It’s like feeling chosen.”
As Arcana grows, Caskey sees workshops, events and community gatherings as the heart of its future.
“Gathering community is really important,” she advises. “We want to offer workshops, which are paid admission, but we also want to offer free events and things for people to gather.”
She wants Arcana to feel pressure-free.
“We have plenty of people that come in and sit down as a third space and they hang out. It kind of feels like ‘Friends with a Witch’ shop. I urge people to sit in and soak in the energy and not feel pressure to buy anything.”
October, she teases, will be full of activity. “I want to throw so many events during the spooky season.”
Her vision for Arcana includes activism and community support far beyond the shop’s walls. She sees Arcana becoming a hub for activism across multiple issues.
When asked what she hopes LGBTQIA+ community takes away from learning about Arcana, Caskey doesn’t hesitate.
“I express gratitude towards the queer communities so much with how much they spearhead change and stand up against tyrant administrations,” she says. “I hope they understand that the gratitude is given from us and hopefully reciprocated as a space for them to feel safe and to gather.”
Visit AranaCoven.com to learn more.
Interested in being featured in The Good Page? Email Editor-in-Chief Ryan Williams-Jent at Ryan@WatermarkOutNews.com in Tampa Bay or Central Florida Bureau Chief Bellanee Plaza at Bellanee@WatermarkOutNews.com in Central Florida.
