Lisa Marie Basile

Lisa Marie Basile

Bio

Lisa Marie Basile is the founding creative director of Luna Luna Magazine--a popular magazine focused on literature, magical living, and identity. She is the author of "Light Magic for Dark Times," a modern collection of inspired rituals and daily practices, as well as "The Magical Writing Grimoire: Use the Word as Your Wand for Magic, Manifestation & Ritual." She can be found writing about trauma recovery, writing as a healing tool, chronic illness, everyday magic, and poetry. She's written for The New York Times, Refinery 29, Self, Chakrubs, Marie Claire, Narratively, Catapult, Sabat Magazine, Healthline, Bust, Hello Giggles, Grimoire Magazine, and more. Lisa Marie has taught writing and ritual workshops at HausWitch in Salem, MA, Manhattanville College, and Pace University. She earned a Masters's degree in Writing from The New School and studied literature and psychology as an undergraduate at Pace University.

Lisa Marie Basile Articles

Photo by Katja Stückrath on Unsplash

Two Selves: Life With Chronic Post-Traumatic Stress

Loss was a language I’d learned early but had no way to speak it out of me. Read...
This can go two ways. You stay at your job and stay miserable. You stay at your job but look for jobs. Which way works best? You guessed it.

5 Painfully Honest Things I Learned From Working In Toxic Offices

What do you do when your workplace is so toxic that it makes you sick? How do you take action then? What happens when you have nothing left to give?

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Do we all care deeply what others think? And is it total bullshit when someone says they don’t?

What’s Not Said: When People Either Love Or Hate You

In this column, I talk about things other people think or say, but not out loud, and certainly not in public. No one wants to say, “People either love me or hate me” because it sounds ridiculous and arrogant and icky.

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What’s Not Said: A Love Letter From Your Friend, The Flake

Please know that us flakes usually are dealing with something more than being lazy or disinterested. Flakes are usually ashamed and angry at themselves for not being able to speak out or address things “properly,” so a little love can go a long way.

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Whenever a thought pops up into my mind, I stop, assess it, and then talk it off its ledge. Imagine doing this 50 times a day — it gets tiring.

The Invisible Life Of Having High-Functioning Anxiety 

Anxiety disorders — PTSD, OCD, and Panic Disorder, to name a few — are the most common mental illnesses in the United States, with about 18% of the population struggling with one. No one wants to be put on blast for their weaknesses or wiring issues. I just wish there was a way to better understand the silent majority — the people who suffer every day.

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My personal goal was always to help writers tap into bigger social and cultural issues through their work — not to peddle exploitative shock-factor trash.

Navigating The Ethics Of Editing Personal Essays 

The fact of the matter is that content mills are dangerous and personal essays are a different beast. And there’s a vast level of discrepancy between a phone-it-in XYZ — and a Here’s What It Feels Like piece and other essays, where the language sings and the story is backed up by reportage. I’m aware of this. But there is also a middle ground.

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Photo by Anton Darius | @theSollers on Unsplash

3 Big Lessons From Scorpio Season

This is the one time of year, Scorpio Season (Oct. 23 to Nov. 22), when getting a little closer and looking a little deeper is, in some ways, inevitable.

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It’s the black cloud that never, ever goes away — despite the resilience it has armored me with.

Addiction & Recovery: When Your Parents Are The Problem

No addiction or recovery story is the same. You don’t always kick the habit and you don’t always find the forgiveness which you seek. Around 60% of addicts relapse, according to the U.S. government. Others die. Others end up prison. Others lose their kids. Some make a full recovery.

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Jealousy can live right under the surface, even amongst friends.

What's Not Said: “I’m Jealous of You.” 

How much energy does it take to be jealous? Hint: Way too much.

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One person can’t hold up the weight of another at all times. It’s especially difficult in situations of role reversal, like with parents and kids.

What's Not Said: When Your Parents Take A Toll On Your Health

It can really take a toll on you when you have to parent a parent.

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