Society Spotlight: UC Charm
By Peter Searles
A new club has sprung up to spread magic, mystery and enchantment among the UC community. You may have seen a three eyed cat, black as the starry sky. You might have heard rumours of lucky crystals, tarot readings, herbology and potion brewing. The change in seasons has brought with it some strange happenings. Like many others, we had to know more. So this month, Curieux met with some of the first members of this mysterious and mystical new club.
UC Charm has its Inaugural General Meeting (IGM) just two weeks ago. Attendees received crystals on arrival and were invited to share food, meet other prospective club members and learn about the club’s purpose and vision. Attendance at the meeting was strong, and many jumped at the chance to take on committee roles or become general representatives. For Bella (the club’s founder and President), this fun and inclusive social gathering was the perfect way to kick things off.
UC Charm members at the 20th of March IGM
Bella envisioned UC Charm as a social club with a whimsical feel and broad appeal. Rather than linking to a particular activity or field of study, the club is built around a sense of fun that anyone can take part in. Two converts from the IGM are Talia (Vice President) who practices witchcraft and paganism and Riley (Secretary) a tarot practitioner who has an interest and association with spirituality while not subscribing to a particular practice or religion. While respecting the mystical and occult practices of its members, for those without a strict practice the club’s events can simply be a chance to find a little more magic in life.
UC Charm poster - find more of club President Bella’s exquisite designs on UC Charm’s Instagram page (@uc.charm)
UC Charm’s first event will be a Tarot night on the 10th of April, starting at 6pm in the student lounge. Tarot practitioners from among the club’s committee members will introduce the Tarot’s major arcana. Then, choosing a card that they connect with, attendees will have a chance to decorate that card and take it home with them. The aim for the night is to share some knowledge about the Tarot for any who want to know more about how to practice it. But it’s also a chance to chat, share some food and drinks and get creative with likeminded people.
Bella, Talia and Riley told me that part of what UC Charm is about is finding the enchantment in daily life which (if we’re not careful) can come to feel a little bit drab and colourless. This resonated with me. So I asked them where they, as UC students, turn to find the magic and fantasy. Talia told me about a particular place on campus, right at the top of building 7 where the long staircase reaches up to the architecture tute rooms. In the peak of freezing Canberra winters, sitting at the top of that staircase in the toasty warm heating, the multi-story pane of glass grants a view down over the building’s enclosed garden. For Talia, being up there can make you feel like a queen in an enchanted castle.
But magic can come from anywhere. For Riley (a creative writing honours student) creative practice provides a way of engaging with the world and a special lens through which to view it that provides an instant injection of fantasy and wonder. And one thing that Bella, Talia and Riley could all agree on is that being with people is one of the surest ways to find the joy in life. That’s why their club, while dabbling in various mystical traditions as well as fantasy, spirituality and role playing, is primarily a social club where members can find connection and a place of belonging.
Forging an open, inclusive (and very witchy) community
Talking to Bella, Talia and Riley, it was clear that this burgeoning club is in a phase of active discovery. Many things are yet to be pinned down (including the identity and character of the club’s mascot - the mysterious three eyed black cat). There will be events that lean into the more witchy side of things, others which delve into fantasy and others, like the Witchy Watches Movie Night coming up on the 16th of May, will primarily be a chance to socialise and make connections. As the year progresses, feedback from attendees will help to shape the club so the UC Charm community can grow collaboratively.
Escape the mundane and embrace the magic! Find UC Cham on Instagram (@uc.charm) to be in the know about their upcoming events and become a member through the club’s Rubric page.