Magic finds a home at Long Beach’s Twelfth House Tea Sanctuary

There’s a type of magic that occurs when someone is following their purpose; a harmony between them and the universe, which to the outside viewer may look like coincidence. In actuality, some may say, it’s the universe rewarding them for obeying their intuition. 

That’s what Ana Luna and Jasmine Thong feel when they walk into Twelfth House Tea Sanctuary, a community wellness and art space they own on Willow Street. The longtime friends have carved out a unique third space over the past two years, hosting intentional and affordable events that cover an array of interests. 

Tarot card readings, creative writing workshops, somatic health activities, life drawing sessions, a Kali Uchis album listening party, group cuddles — there are no limits at Twelfth House. Just a desire to express oneself and grow in a safe, inclusive environment. 

“Within the last few years it’s like, I know I’m walking in my purpose. And because I walk in my purpose, the doors keep opening,” Luna said. “That doesn’t mean that these doors or these opportunities are always going to be like flowers and glitter. It’s gonna be like, hey, check this out. Everything is a lesson … and everything is a blessing.” 

“It’s almost like, synchronistic,” Thong adds. “Like we’re just co-creating with the universe.”

They’ve also been creating alongside the community. Nearly every event at Twelfth House, from the spiritual to the artistic, has come from the minds of visitors, friends and locals who’ve grown to call the space a second home. And it’s an easy place to feel at home — the living room-style area lends itself to rearranging (which they do often), while the oversized couches, pastel floor pillows and woven rugs invite you to stay awhile. 

Twelfth House’s namesake is drawn from astrology, a longtime passion of Thong’s, she explained. The twelfth house, ruled by Pisces, is where one finds power in their subconscious, in the space between realms. It pulls people to follow their dreams and uncover secrets from within themselves. 

“So it’s our secrets, our subconscious, our creativity, and our hidden talents,” Thong said. “I wanted to harness that energy when people come in here, like they find out things about themselves if they didn’t know. Hopefully they’re empowering, usually they are.
But also, I just want people to feel like they’re not on earth anymore when they come in here.”

As Jasmine delivers her mini astrology lesson about the twelfth house, a speaker in the corner of the room begins playing “Secrets” by Miley Cyrus, Lindsey Buckingham and Mick Fleetwood. She acknowledges the coincidence then quickly moves on. It’s the type of thing that happens often to them since starting Twelfth House; meeting the exact people they need at the right time.

In March, they boast a calendar full of events: a sisterhood circle for divine feminine energy, a free library launch party, a spring equinox with tea, tarot and a soundbath, a water magic workshop, a life drawing and an open mic night. For those not ready for an event, Twelfth House also has “portal nights” and “daylight hours,” where visitors can enjoy blends of tea, watercolor painting, books and tarot decks or simply plop down to work while basking in the soft beams of light that shine through the red, pink and tan drapery. 

Visiting hours are free while events typically range from $15-25. Affordability and accessibility is a key aspect of their ethos; that health, wellness, art and spirituality should be for everyone. Both the daughters of immigrants, they envision a space where people of all ages and backgrounds can discover something about themselves. 

“I feel like a lot of our parents don’t take the time to do wellness events like this because like [Thong] was saying, they were too busy just trying to survive and put food on the table for us,” Luna said. 

Their hope is to create a generational shift, Luna explained, where individuals can perhaps deviate from patterns that have existed in their families for generations, and grow in a new way. For others, it may mean discovering something that’s been hidden inside themselves for years. 

Having immigrated to Long Beach at 7 years old, it wasn’t until she was an adult that Luna realized her own grandmother, who she said largely raised her, was the village healer in their neighborhood in Mexico. She remembers her grandmother had a kitchen full of herbs and alcohols each with their own purpose, and she recalled her grandmother doing limpias on her, a traditional Mexican cleansing ritual that removes negative energy and bad luck from a person. 

Luna was raised as a Catholic once her family moved to America, then a heartbreak in her 20s led her to explore Christianity. In 2020, she began meditating and doing hours of tarot card readings with Thong and she finally felt it: the alignment she had been searching for. 

“I was like, wait, I’ve always been involved in things like this,” Luna said. “My grandmother’s like my biggest inspiration. Everything I do is based off of her because she pretty much raised me the first years of my life. So looking back, I’ve always been around it and I think she kind of unlocked that first thing where she allowed me to believe in myself.”

For Thong, creating this space for wellness and spirituality was more of a “full circle moment.” Having moved around various parts of Long Beach growing up, she has fond memories of attending the Khemara Buddhikarama Temple with her family, just one street away from where Twelfth House stands.  

“My grandpa would always tell me how everything has a spirit. Everything has a soul, so just respect everything,” Thong said. “I feel like innately, it’s always just been in me.”

When she was in the 5th grade, Thong said she felt extremely shy and often wondered why she had a hard time connecting with the other girls in her grade. Then one day at Barnes and Noble, she read a book on astrology and things started clicking; why she was the way she was and why her classmates did the things they did. 

“I was like the witchy girl on the playground saying, ‘Okay, we have three main signs,’” Thong remembers, laughing. “I was trying to tell the kids at the playground and I became weirder, but I understood myself more and then I understood why everyone else was the way they were …
And ever since then I just became more into quantum physics and how to bring that together with magic and how to make things happen.”

While inklings of spirituality exist in their pasts, the same can be said about their friendship. When the two originally met, Luna was working at a Jack-in-the-Box in Lakewood and Thong at a Verizon store in the same shopping center. Thong would often come in to order her midday iced tea and the two would make small talk. Years later, Thong and a friend were at a restaurant in Lakewood when she recognized her server as Luna. 

At the time Thong was in cosmetology school, so she gave Luna her business card if she ever wanted to get her hair done. Years passed before Luna dug through her dresser searching for the lost card. Once she tracked Thong down, the two became friends.

“We started talking about spirituality and everything, but it was just those little moments where we just kept aligning,” Luna said. 

Both growing in their spirituality and craving a like-minded community years ago, Thong offered up her space, The Dancing Moon Salon in the Zaferia district, for Luna to begin hosting sound baths. Before long they wanted their own space. 

Family and friends helped them transform the building when they decided to make the jump and fully fund their dream space. Thong’s father painted the walls a sandy brown, Luna’s 80-year-old grandfather built the spiral staircase that leads to the mezzanine. Together they handcrafted the four dazzling chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling, reflecting its shimmers off the dozen or so mirrors hanging or sitting on floors and shelves.

“The only help that we had from our family was their hands … That’s the immigrant dream, you know?” Thong said.

The smell of burnt sage floats through the air as Jasmine and Anna reminisce on how the time has passed since opening Twelfth House. 

With the help of family and local herbalists, Luna and Thong have expanded their tea knowledge to an impressive degree, evident by the dozens of jars and bags holding homemade blends. The names are other-worldy and the flavors are grounding: starlight, heartlight, beyonder, neptune’s veil are just a few options.

The blends, made by local herbalists Kelly from Green Wisdom and Caroline of Caroline’s Apothecary, are as intricate and purposeful as they are colorful. They each have their own personal favorites (like damniana, a wild-grown Mexican herb Luna says she’s obsessed with), and they highly recommend their house blend. 

The last two years have been a struggle, they’re not afraid to admit. Between Thong working seven days a week at  The Dancing Moon Salon and Luna working full time as a speech therapist, there’s no such thing as a work-life balance. What keeps them going? 

“I think what always grounds me is people’s reactions when they’re here,” Luna said. “And then when they leave, they feel better about themselves. They feel better about life. I feel like I’m doing something right when that happens.”

On the early evening of Feb. 27, the duo is cleaning up after a local crochet club’s one-year anniversary party. The following evening they’ll host a full moon sound bath with the intention to make way for new beginnings. It’s fitting, since their journey is just getting started. 

Twelfth House Tea Sanctuary is located at 1950 W. Willow St. Hours and events change monthly and can be found on their Instagram @12thhouselb.