Romanistan

Jezmina Von Thiele and Paulina Stevens

The authors of Secrets of Romani Fortune Telling present: Romanistan! Do you love rebels? Do you want to live in a place where outcasts shine their brightest? Welcome to Romanistan! We're your friendly neighborhood Gypsies, celebrating Romani identity and outcast culture, and practicing good diplomatic relations with other marginalized communities.We love the rebels who are living their truth, even if it clashes with tradition. We also love tradition and honoring our roots. This podcast is for everyone who loves and supports Roma & related groups, and anyone who feels like a misfit and wants to uplift others to create a beautiful community. We feature pioneers in culture, fashion, art, literature, music, activism, cuisine, and everything good. We adore the intersections of gender, sexuality, spirituality, ability, and identity. We cover all topics, from the difficult to the glorious. Let's sit crooked and talk straight.Hosted by Paulina Stevens and Jezmina Von Thiele. We reclaim the slur Gypsy, but if you aren’t Romani, we prefer you don't use it. xoxo. P.S. The Romani people are a diasporic ethnic group originally from northwest India, circa the 10th century. Now, Roma live all over the globe, and due to centuries of oppression, slavery, genocide, and other atrocities, Roma are still fighting for basic human rights. We seek to raise awareness of who Roma are, and highlight Romani resilience, creativity, & culture. 

  1. 1d ago

    Fortune Telling On Trial: Beck Ravenswood of The Serpent's Key

    A police chief sees a Facebook post about tarot readings and decides to enforce a law from 1861. Beck Ravenswood walks us their legal nightmare through after opening The Serpent’s Key, a metaphysical shop in Hanover, Pennsylvania. We trace how anti-fortune-telling laws still criminalize paid divination, why “for entertainment only” disclaimers don’t fix the underlying threat, and how these unconstitutional anti-Romani laws affect everyone, but especially the marginalized. Beck shares the timeline of their lawsuit and what it takes to challenge a Pennsylvania fortune telling ban on First Amendment grounds, including the relief of a temporary injunction and the high stakes of a case that has escalated to the state level. We also talk about the parallel path through House Bill 1562, and why the goal is full repeal, not new licensing barriers that would keep marginalized practitioners at risk. Then public historian and folklorist Rissa Miller joins us for a focused history segment on where these laws come from: British anti-Roma legal traditions, vagrancy and “disorderly persons” policing, and the cultural double standard that labels some spiritual labor respectable while treating Romani-coded practices as fraud. If you read tarot, run a metaphysical business, or care about religious freedom and racial justice, this conversation will change how you see “weird old laws” in the US. Subscribe, share this with a friend who loves tarot or civil rights, and leave a review so more listeners can find Romanistan. What fortune telling laws exist where you live? Thank you for listening to Romanistan podcast. Please subscribe, rate, + review, + share with your friends!  Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @romanistanpodcast. Subscribe to our Patreon to join the conversation and our private community for just $5 a month. Or donate any amount to Ko-fi.com/romanistan. We depend on your support to keep going.  You can book readings and events and take workshops with Jez at jezminavonthiele.com, and book readings and holistic healing sessions with Paulina at romaniholistic.com. Follow Jez on Instagram @jezmina.vonthiele & Paulina @romaniholistic.  Get our book Secrets of Romani Fortune Telling wherever books are sold. If you love it, write us a review.  Visit us at romanistanpodcast.com and email us at romanistanpodcast@gmail.com for inquiries.  Romanistan is hosted by Jezmina Von Thiele and Paulina Stevens Conceived of by Paulina Stevens Edited by Viktor Pachas Music by Viktor Pachas Artwork by Elijah Vardo LOTL: Queer ConversationWe all crave Queer Conversations. Follow the link to listen.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Mini Bernedoodles for saleMini Bernedoodle puppies for sale.Support the show

  2. Jun 25

    Rootless: a Romani and South-Asian fusion band

    Rootless are a Glasgow-based collective of Romani and Indian musicians united by a shared mission: to honour the deep historical bond between Roma and Indian cultures through music. The band was created by producer Janos and Sodhi, drawn together by the ancient migration story that connects both communities. Their sound fuses Bhangra rhythms with Romani instrumentation, blending folk, Sufi and South Asian influences into something entirely their own. Their debut single "RakiTakitaNana" was covered by EarMilk, Plastic Magazine and Magnetic Magazine among others. Their new single "Dam Mast Qalander" releases June 19th, 2026. Born of the Ando Glaso Collective. Follow @ando_glaso and @rootless64 We spoke to Janos Lang - Founder of the band (AG Productions - Roma led multicultural production company), Sarmad Ghafoor - British - Pakistani Music Producer for Rootless, and Matus Jaco ( Guitarist ) . The Romani crushes for this episode are Lulo Reinhardt, Tcha Limberger, Taraf de Haidouks, Roby Lakatos, and Gipsy Kings. Thank you for listening to Romanistan podcast. Please subscribe, rate, + review, + share with your friends!  Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @romanistanpodcast. Subscribe to our Patreon to join the conversation and our private community for just $5 a month. Or donate any amount to Ko-fi.com/romanistan. We depend on your support to keep going.  You can book readings and events and take workshops with Jez at jezminavonthiele.com, and book readings and holistic healing sessions with Paulina at romaniholistic.com. Follow Jez on Instagram @jezmina.vonthiele & Paulina @romaniholistic.  Get our book Secrets of Romani Fortune Telling wherever books are sold. If you love it, write us a review.  Visit us at romanistanpodcast.com and email us at romanistanpodcast@gmail.com for inquiries.  Romanistan is hosted by Jezmina Von Thiele and Paulina Stevens Conceived of by Paulina Stevens Edited by Viktor Pachas Music by Viktor Pachas Artwork by Elijah Vardo LOTL: Queer ConversationWe all crave Queer Conversations. Follow the link to listen.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Mini Bernedoodles for saleMini Bernedoodle puppies for sale.Support the show

  3. Jun 1

    June 2026 Tarot

    We pull three tarot cards for June and use them as a grounded forecast for love, money, and the kind of leadership that actually changes your day-to-day life. Along the way, we get honest about raising your standards, reframing grief as an extension of love, and trusting your gut when dreams and ancestors feel close.  Let us know what you want to hear about for future Q&A episodes! Thank you for listening to Romanistan podcast. Please subscribe, rate, + review, + share with your friends!  Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @romanistanpodcast. Subscribe to our Patreon to join the conversation and our private community for just $5 a month. Or donate any amount to Ko-fi.com/romanistan. We depend on your support to keep going.  You can book readings and events and take workshops with Jez at jezminavonthiele.com, and book readings and holistic healing sessions with Paulina at romaniholistic.com. Follow Jez on Instagram @jezmina.vonthiele & Paulina @romaniholistic.  Get our book Secrets of Romani Fortune Telling wherever books are sold. If you love it, write us a review.  Visit us at romanistanpodcast.com and email us at romanistanpodcast@gmail.com for inquiries.  Romanistan is hosted by Jezmina Von Thiele and Paulina Stevens Conceived of by Paulina Stevens Edited by Viktor Pachas Music by Viktor Pachas Artwork by Elijah Vardo LOTL: Queer ConversationWe all crave Queer Conversations. Follow the link to listen.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Support the show

  4. May 24

    Secrets of Romani Tarot Q&A

    You have tarot questions and we have answers! We did this Q&A as a little extra research for our second book, Secrets of Romani Tarot, out next year, and our tarot deck, Romanistan Tarot, out the year after. Tell us what you would like us to cover next! We'd love to keep these Q&As going. Or if you want to ask us questions anytime, join the Romanistan Patreon or Jezmina's Patreon.  Thank you for listening to Romanistan podcast. Please subscribe, rate, + review, + share with your friends!  Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @romanistanpodcast. Subscribe to our Patreon to join the conversation and our private community for just $5 a month. Or donate any amount to Ko-fi.com/romanistan. We depend on your support to keep going.  You can book readings and events and take workshops with Jez at jezminavonthiele.com, and book readings and holistic healing sessions with Paulina at romaniholistic.com. Follow Jez on Instagram @jezmina.vonthiele & Paulina @romaniholistic.  Get our book Secrets of Romani Fortune Telling wherever books are sold. If you love it, write us a review.  Visit us at romanistanpodcast.com and email us at romanistanpodcast@gmail.com for inquiries.  Romanistan is hosted by Jezmina Von Thiele and Paulina Stevens Conceived of by Paulina Stevens Edited by Viktor Pachas Music by Viktor Pachas Artwork by Elijah Vardo LOTL: Queer ConversationWe all crave Queer Conversations. Follow the link to listen.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Mini Bernedoodles for saleMini Bernedoodle puppies for sale.Support the show

  5. Apr 29

    Jeanette Kerttu on Romani Women's Magical Practices

    Jeanette Kerttu is a Romani (Kalderash) scholar and teacher of religion based in Sweden. She holds a Master’s degree in Religious Studies, with a specialization in esotericism, historical magic, occult traditions, and so-called rejected knowledge. Her research focuses on Romani women’s magical practices, both historically and in contemporary contexts, with a comparative perspective between Sweden and the United States. Her work examines the persistence, meaning, and functions of these practices, highlighting their role in shaping cultural identity, empowerment, and social positioning. She argues that such practices have enabled Romani women to transform marginalization into forms of authority, leadership, and economic agency. Follow Jeanette on Instagram @jeanettekerttu The Romani crush for this episode is Carmen Amaya. Thank you for listening to Romanistan podcast. Please subscribe, rate, + review, + share with your friends!  Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @romanistanpodcast. Subscribe to our Patreon to join the conversation and our private community for just $5 a month. Or donate any amount to Ko-fi.com/romanistan. We depend on your support to keep going.  You can book readings and events and take workshops with Jez at jezminavonthiele.com, and book readings and holistic healing sessions with Paulina at romaniholistic.com. Follow Jez on Instagram @jezmina.vonthiele & Paulina @romaniholistic.  Get our book Secrets of Romani Fortune Telling wherever books are sold. If you love it, write us a review.  Visit us at romanistanpodcast.com and email us at romanistanpodcast@gmail.com for inquiries.  Romanistan is hosted by Jezmina Von Thiele and Paulina Stevens Conceived of by Paulina Stevens Edited by Viktor Pachas Music by Viktor Pachas Artwork by Elijah Vardo LOTL: Queer ConversationWe all crave Queer Conversations. Follow the link to listen.Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Mini Bernedoodles for saleMini Bernedoodle puppies for sale.Support the show

4.8
out of 5
71 Ratings

About

The authors of Secrets of Romani Fortune Telling present: Romanistan! Do you love rebels? Do you want to live in a place where outcasts shine their brightest? Welcome to Romanistan! We're your friendly neighborhood Gypsies, celebrating Romani identity and outcast culture, and practicing good diplomatic relations with other marginalized communities.We love the rebels who are living their truth, even if it clashes with tradition. We also love tradition and honoring our roots. This podcast is for everyone who loves and supports Roma & related groups, and anyone who feels like a misfit and wants to uplift others to create a beautiful community. We feature pioneers in culture, fashion, art, literature, music, activism, cuisine, and everything good. We adore the intersections of gender, sexuality, spirituality, ability, and identity. We cover all topics, from the difficult to the glorious. Let's sit crooked and talk straight.Hosted by Paulina Stevens and Jezmina Von Thiele. We reclaim the slur Gypsy, but if you aren’t Romani, we prefer you don't use it. xoxo. P.S. The Romani people are a diasporic ethnic group originally from northwest India, circa the 10th century. Now, Roma live all over the globe, and due to centuries of oppression, slavery, genocide, and other atrocities, Roma are still fighting for basic human rights. We seek to raise awareness of who Roma are, and highlight Romani resilience, creativity, & culture. 

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