About Denise Harwood
My Story
Greetings! I’m Denise, and I use tarot and astrology to get advice from the universe (I don’t always listen). As a child I dreamt of being a writer, a physicist, or a professor. I’ve studied Classical Languages, Computer Science, and Ancient History. I’ve worked as a medical records specialist, a fragrance seller, a datacenter technician and a data security program manager. I love reading books, developing my spiritual practice, growing food in my garden and playing Dungeons & Dragons. I’m a lifelong cat person. The wilderness of the PNW shaped who I am; Georgia is still working on me.
Why I’m Here
I know what it’s like to feel trapped by what society expects of you. After spending my youth dreaming of all the things I could become, reading tarot and looking up at the stars, I ended up panicking and getting a degree in Computer Science so I could be ‘safe’ in the tech world. Even though I knew I wasn’t happy, I was worried that people would think less of me if I ever talked about my more mystical interests.
The ‘scariest’ card in Tarot is the Tower; it is a warning that you have gone too far and are about to take a fall. You have not jumped, and now you will be pushed. As my burn out grew greater and both my mental and physical health began to suffer, I pulled this card more and more often. So I asked my deck questions. ‘If I stay on this path, what will happen?’ ‘If I finally ramp up my business to include astrology and tarot, go full time, what will happen?’ Tarot helped guide me through a pros and cons list when I felt like I couldn’t be rational in the face of my own fears.
Figuring out that I wanted to dive more deeply and share my tarot and astrology skills didn’t come out of nowhere. My natal chart clearly pointed to my need to communicate, to help people figure out what they value, to dive into people’s psyches and make the world a better place for my community. And to do it outside of the ’norms’ of what that would usually suggest.
With these two tools, my life suddenly came into focus and I was able to start healing and moving forward.
About My Shop
Planetary Crafts started as a candle company in 2021 — I wasn’t ready to hang out my shingle as a reader yet, but I knew I wanted to build something of my own, and I knew I could do something interesting with scent. Working at a retail fragrance counter in the early 2000s, I witnessed why scent was so important to people; it provokes memories, invites connection, and is a silent statement of who we are and who we wish to be. Even after I left that job I kept that knowledge close to my heart and paid attention to scent correspondences during my mystic studies. Planetary Craft’s first candle collection combines my years of study and my passion for scent to honor astrology’s seven traditional planets.
My sister business, Serpent’s Stash, grew out of my other great love — Dungeons & Dragons. You’ll find fantasy and TTRPG themed candles and goods over there.
Essays
I never stop reading and learning, and sometimes I need to write things down so I can start thinking about something else. Welcome to where I share these writings, whether they be poetic ramblings, practical information or wild rants; things that are beautiful, useful or (ideally) both.
Upcoming Events
I vend at markets and conventions periodically — come say hello!
| Date | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Sat Apr 18 | Reiki Healing Hands | Atlanta, Georgia |
| Sat Apr 25 | Asheville Art and Oddities Market | Western NC Agricultural Center, NC |
| Fri May 1 – Sun May 3 | WagonCon 2026 | The Dalles Civic Auditorium, OR |
Follow me on social media for announcements and updates.
Have Questions?
Not sure how I can help, have technical issues with the site, or need to book a custom session?