Meet the Rue & Vervain Team

  • Serefina Yeshe Mesa ~ CoOwner

    Serefina Yeshe Ny'O is a mother, writer, and Buddhist Witch. The oldest of nine children, Serefina was born and raised in Pomona, a small Southern California town just on the outskirts of Los Angeles. Serefina is the founder of Rue & Vervain and the author and creator of the Earth, Moon, & Shadow Oracle as well as the co-creator of The Wisdom of Pooh Tarot.

    Serefina began her spiritual journey in 2014 and committed to walking a path toward enlightenment when she took her Refuge Vow as a Buddhist in 2016, then her Bodhisattva Vow in 2017. For the last 24 years, Serefina has lived in the lush green state of Maryland on the East Coast of the United States. She currently lives and practices her craft in the city of Baltimore where she shares her life with her partner of 23 years and two beagles. Together they have raised two amazing and gifted adults.

  • Angel Mesa ~ CoOwner

    Angel is fairly new to the tarot world. She & Fina (Serefina) are sisters and besties and the co-creators of The Wisdom of Pooh Tarot. Angel lives in Northern California and is the mother of three adult children including Elysiah who is collaborating on this deck. Angel has a B.A in Child Development and and Minor in English with a love for working with kids of all ages. A Jesus lover through and through, she finds Jesus in all things including tarot. Being a kid at heart, she is loving the opportunity to interpret tarot through the wisdom and life of Pooh.

    To follow Angel and her two favorite things, Jesus and Drag Queens, find her on Instagram @jesusanddrag

  • Kat L. Amsel - Chief Illustrator

    Kat is an artist living and working in Northeast, Ohio. She has a B.S in Wildlife Biology from the University of California PA where she also took painting and drawing classes. Her main specialty is acrylic paintings but also works in watercolor and ink.

    Kat's artwork ranges from surrealism, to detailed and realistic wildlife art that is given her own interpretation thru color and linework. She is inspired by the natural world around us and explores this relationship by merging elements of nature into all her of work. Follow Kat on her Instagram @glait41 or on Facebook @Glait-Creations to see her latest art and creations.

    Kat is the artist for both the Earth, Moon, & Shadow Oracle and our upcoming The Wisdom of Pooh Tarot.

  • Jessi Huntenburg - Director of Engagement/Staff Writer

    Jessi Huntenburg is the Director of Engagement and a Staff Writer at Rue & Vervain and the creator of the Genius Garden Tarot. Her journey with tarot, wellness, and alternative spirituality began in 2014 when she began reading cards and practicing meditation as a way to help her navigate her newfound roles as wife and mother.

    Jessi grew up in a suburb of Philadelphia, moved to the city to attend college, and set down roots there after she received her B.A. in English. She spends her free time painting, writing, sewing, walking in cemeteries, and cruising local festivals with her husband and daughter.

    To learn more about Jessi, you can follow her on Instagram @jessi_huntenburg

  • Elysiah Boldridge - Executive Admin

    Elysiah is the youngest daughter of Angel and niece to Serefina. She is a 20 year old ROCKSTAR who, while studying Animal Science at the University of California Davis, still makes time to dabble in the world of tarot and herbalism. Elysiah has done a lot of the behind the scenes work on all our projects including the Earth, Moon, & Shadow Oracle and The Wisdom of Pooh Tarot. She has even contributed in a few of the concepts for the cards herself.

    If you would like to learn more about Elysiah and follow along on her journey, you can find her on Instagram @elysiah.boldridge04.

  • Jordyn Taylor ~ Project Support Specialist

    Meet Jordyn, our enthusiastic Project Support Specialist at Rue & Vervain! Her journey into spirituality and the metaphysical world started in 2016 and was fueled even more by the love she shares with her wife. Jordyn isn't just passionate about her work – she's also diving into herbalism and expanding her knowledge in Reiki to nurture personal growth and holistic well-being. Outside of work, you can find her enjoying the outdoors with her family and dogs, staying active, reading, playing board games, and getting creative with crafting projects.

Meet the Investors

  • Saxon Mesa

    Saxon, aka Payaso the Poet, is the older of the two brothers in the Mesa family. He was born and raised in Pomona, California but has been an Oklahoma City transplant for the past 28 years. He is one of our investors in the Wisdom of Pooh Tarot and the upcoming Tigger Too! Tarot.

    During the day you can find Saxon working for Wellness Connections, a small business that works to bring the best quality, locally grown foods from Oklahoma producers and farmers directly to the people. Catch him in his free time and you'll find him grinding away on his true passion, writing and producing his own music.

    To check out what Saxon is up to these days, you can follow him on Instagram @payasothepoet or listen to him flow on Soundcloud.

  • Ruben Mesa

    Ruben Mesa, or Mr. Payaso as he is affectionately known, is the father and grandfather of our Mesa Clan and the silent partner on The Wisdom of Pooh Tarot project. Ruben is an O.G. vato loco and recovering addict with 12+ years clean. Ruben's hard earned experience and wisdom comes from his many years on the streets of of Los Angeles and Pomona, California. Fun-loving, charming, and always the jokester, Ruben truly lives up to his nickname, Payaso (clown in Spanish).

    Ruben has five children, eight grandchildren, and countless "adopted" nieces, nephews, and other kids as he is "grandpa Ruben" to everyone. A lover of tacos and animals (especially turtles) you can often find him enjoying some local Mexican food, or head-banging in the garage to Iron Maiden or Saxon while studying his Bible.

    To check out what's going on in Ruben's part of the world you can follow him on Instagram @payasomr.