Say 'Hello' to Dark Willow Emporium, Carson City's newest sustainable, new-age mystic parlor
Submitted by Kelsey Penrose on Fri, 04/29/2022 - 11:50am
Dark Willow Emporium is Carson City's newest gift shop dedicated to sustainability and mystical experiences.
Owner Katherine Ardesco cares a lot about sustainability. Her dedication is so strong that in her shop, everything offered must meet her sustainability standards, because first and foremost, "When the earth is healthy, we're healthy."
According to Ardesco, sustainability means local sourcing, and almost everything in her store is Nevada-made, with art, beauty products, home decor, cleaning supplies and more all offered from local makers.
Ardesco became interested in sustainability after she gave birth to her daughter Rogue.
"It wasn't even something I thought about," said Ardesco. "And then I realized, 'she's not going to have a world to live in.' Everyone can make a difference by making small changes in their lives, whether its getting rid of single use plastics, using your own grocery bags...there's a lot of ways we can make a difference."
Inside Dark Willow Emporium, one can find everything from eco-friendly beauty products, to crystals, local art work, potions, home decor, and much more.
While Ardesco says that there is already a market for sustainability and new age stores in Reno, bringing her business to Carson City was important because many business owners are nervous about opening in this market.
"A lot of the times, Carson gets forgotten," said Ardesco, who spent her childhood between Douglas County and Florida. "I think people are afraid to open businesses here because they worry, 'Will I get enough traffic? Will we be successful?' People are afraid to branch out here. But there has been so much growth here, and we need to support that growth. People from Gardnerville, Dayton, Carson...they shouldn't have to drive to Reno just to find sustainable products or spiritual services."
The spiritual services offered by Dark Willow Emporium come from local sources as well.
"It's definitely collaborative," said Ardesco.
Services include Reiki healing, aura readings, tarot, astrology chart readings, spiritual tattoos, piercing, and much more.
While most spiritual services come from others, Ardesco has become involved with spiritual tattooing.
"I want to bring tattooing back to its roots," said Ardesco. "In the beginning, people didn't just say 'oh that's a pretty picture, I want that on me.' Tattoos marked major moments in a person's life, whether it was a milestone, a change, or some event that led to growth. That's what I want to return to."
Ardesco wants the space to be educational as well, from cleansing crystals to build-your-own-potions, art classes, sustainability courses, and much more.
The grand opening for Dark Willow Emporium will be held on Saturday, May 14, which is when services will begin booking as well.
"They'll book very quickly, so if anyone wants to book services during the first month or so, they should come to the grand opening," said Ardesco.
During the grand opening, there will be giveaways, professional photoshoots, and more.
Ardesco says she is always looking for more local vendors, and she finds many of those who are collaborating with her via word of mouth or social media.
Dark Willow Emporium is located at 1802 N. Carson St. suite 217B.
To learn more about Dark Willow Emporium, you can follow them on Instagram or Facebook.
