The Magical Musician Mikki Ma’at
By Natalie Benoit
Mikki Ma'at is a 25-year-old New York City singer known for her 2017 single “Angel.” Ma’at, however, is a woman of many trades. She’s a hair and makeup artist, model, creative director and the founder of Crystal Rebellion. Her passion for hair and makeup began in high school as a hobby and progressed into playing a larger role in Ma’at’s life. She attended cosmetology school to refine her skills and develop her talent more thoroughly. The NYC resident also handmakes custom jewelry and crystal pieces. Her favorite crystal is Amethyst, the purple birthstone for the month of February.
During our virtual interview, Ma’at described how her connection with spirituality is deeply rooted in the earth and its vibrations. Over the course of our conversation, it was clear the musician has a strong and healthy relationship with positive, holistic magic. Much of it spanning from working with crystal energy to potion-making. For Ma’at, the way in which she uses and practices magic manifests in various methods.
“Sometimes I manifest through stones and sometimes it manifests through plant life and herbs. For me, it's like moving with the elements, moving with nature, moving with earth. Sometimes when we combine elements, it creates alchemy, and that's when I choose to call it magic because I'm taking the sound and I'm adding a visual, that is alchemy. I take an herb and then I add some liquid and that's alchemy. In the simplest way, I think that everything that I can do is magic.”
The topic of alchemy immediately brought my mind to the well-known fantasy and adventure novel “The Alchemist,” by Paulo Coelho. “I read it when I was really young and I think it might have come over my head. But I've been told by a lot of people to like reread it and see what I think of it,” Ma’at responded when asked if she had ever read the book.
The 25-year-old creative also explained how and why she expresses herself and her intentions through several magic techniques. One day it can be working with herbs and roots, and the next day, the focus is more on plant life.
“It really depends on where I'm being called. I think that magic can be done everywhere, and it doesn't have to be with the intention of like manifesting something else. Sometimes I just want to show my appreciation and that can be kind of like magical.”
Ma’at has been a magic enthusiast for as long as she’s been a musician and singer. In both areas of her life, the young artist felt her passions from a young age and it’s influenced who she is today.
“It's something that I think I've always innately had as a child. I’ve always been able to express myself through my hands, using my hands. It would be magic through making like mud pies or a sandcastle. I think that my magic was cultivated by my family around me at a young age. I was always told that there are things outside of what I could see that surely made magic so believable for me.”
It takes years of research and reading to become an expert on a particular topic or knowledgeable on any subject. The same applies to those who educate themselves on higher powers and the practice of magic. Ma’at says her days of learning are far from over. Not only did she learn to read tarot cards, but her grandmother read them as well. For some people, the connection to magic is generational.
“There was a lot of research, I still do nothing but research. I'm very dedicated to knowledge and just learning more, however, I do feel like I have the upper hand because I inherited magic. They say that magic skips generations and my grandmother was a diviner, a tarot card reader, a channeler, and a medium. I feel like I absorbed her gift and she recently passed on maybe a few months ago, and she transited on a full moon, which is very magical.”
Those who practice crystal magic believe the moon actually maintains a strong connection with the energy a crystal possesses. The relationship between the two resembles the effect our moon has over ocean tides. The gravitational pull from the moon generates high and low tides, showcasing how the two are linked. Practitioners often heed caution when cleansing or charging their crystals because, under specific full moons, the process may attract unwanted energy. The term cleansing and charging refer to maintaining the healthy and positive energies within the crystals so they can have the intended effect(s) users seek.
“Well, the full moon energy is very intense. Sometimes to hypersensitive people, it can make them a little crazy, a little zany.”
When it comes to approaching someone who does not believe in the practice of magic or the power of crystal energy, Ma’at recognizes it’s a lot of push and pull. One of the most important details she remembers when sharing her ideology is that she isn’t doing anything wrong. The musician believes everyone should consider how the energies in their environment affect them.
“Everything around me, including the earth and plants, was telling me that I was on the right path. What necessarily feels good and heals me and helps other people, I deem as a righteous thing. I just tell people my best advice and try to be the best example that I can be within magic. I'm up to nothing but good and kindness and healing. I show them that and I let them know that they can tune in to their own portal, they can tune into themselves. Usually, the things they have questions about or judge, I ask people to look at with a clean slate, as if they weren't told what this was, would you do? I know it’s like a genuine curiosity that comes from it, not a bad thing.”
Ma’at also advocates eating and drinking healthy and nutritious recipes to ensure your physical state is just as nourished as your mind. On Instagram, the NYC resident shares some of her favorite drinks and recipes in an Instagram highlight all about wellness, titled “Health is <3.”
“So my juices are crazy because I literally put everything. Ginger is something that I didn't always like, but once I got accustomed to it, it became a favorite ingredient. My favorite juice— and I swear to God it can heal you—is just ginger and a whole lime and you just cut it with some honey or agave or sugar or something to make it sweet, take a shot of it or just mix it with a lot of water. Drinking the whole thing will flush you out and even spiritually, it's spicy so it just pushes everything out.”
The concoction is a wellness shot Ma’at drinks every morning to kick start her day feeling energized. This isn’t the only mixture the magic practitioner creates. Ma’at uses herbs and other ingredients to prepare more holistic potions.
“It's very interesting because some people do elixirs and oils, and it's kind of the same alchemy because you're working with the liquids. So with potions, each herb has its own realm and things that it can be applied for medicinally and topically on your body or when you ingest it. So if I put bay into my food, and it gives it strength, it gives a little bit of spice, I can use this bay leaf for a little bit of luck or strength. Essentially as long as I’m not hurting anyone with the combination, I'm calling this toxicology, I can boil things down or distill them, dilute them, soak them and turn it into tonics. These different kinds of herbs can create different results medicinally and magically, so it's very interesting.”
Ma’at says obtaining personal, hands-on-experience improves one’s understanding of herbology. She believes effectively using herbs and knowing their different effects comes from practicing, learning, and experimenting. We both even acknowledged the growth in popularity among alternative medicines and how people are starting to rely more on natural resources for healing.
“Now I'm at the point where I can start to pick things at street markets because I’m getting familiar with certain herbs...I've been able to start to experience medicine, and then it as like a metaphysical potion.”
When discussing her business Crystal Rebellion, Ma’at described how she makes all of her designs and pieces. “Everything on the page is handmade by me, hand-wired. I do like wire weaving and sometimes I can do really, really intuitive designs depending on the crystal. I've been familiar with jewelry and working with stones for a long time, since I was a kid because I had a magical grandmother. So I would make crystal jewelry at a young age and experiment with wire at a young age and when it became trendy, I was like ‘whoa, wait a minute, I kind of know what I'm doing here.’ Over the years, like five or so, I've been able to create a business out of this and it's been really rewarding and healing.”
Another important detail about Ma’at is her identity as a “unicorn magic professional,” The creative NYC artist explained the significance of the mythical creature and how she exerts a similar aesthetic and positive energy.
“For people, a unicorn is something that doesn’t exist, it isn’t real. And I’m like ‘I’m right here!’” In most professional work settings, the concept and image of a unicorn is deemed unprofessional and childish. Nevertheless, Ma’at says she never felt obligated to mute her excitement or hide her child-like nature to be taken seriously.
Other people have also called Ma’at a “unicorn magic professional.” The reason? Her on-set presence.
“I would be doing hair, but I’m also experienced as a model and also experienced as a set designer, so I would be going around not being afraid to contribute my ideas. I’d literally be sprinkling unicorn magic and people would say that verbatim every time I did a shoot,” she explained.
PYNK Talks is Find Your ID's platform designed to empower female BOSSES! Tune in every week to hear from various artists, entrepreneurs, and influencers! Thi...
Ma’at was Find Your ID NYC’s featured guest for volume 13 of PYNKTALKS. While on the Instagram and Facebook live streams, the musician told viewers she has more music on the way for fall 2020 with the release of her first EP.