A Michiana Life in the Spotlight: Rhiannon Kario

Though she lived in California for a couple of years, Rhiannon Kario’s home is Michiana. She was brought up in the region’s surrounding areas, and she’s been living in South Bend since she was 13. As a teen, she attended Penn High School, and she remained local after graduating by going on to attend Indiana University (IU) South Bend.

Ever since she was a child, Kario has always appreciated the stars and the many complexities of astronomy. Once she learned anyone can look into birth charts to gain better understandings of their world, she couldn’t get enough. Discovering more about others has fixed itself as a constant source of pleasure for her.

While she studies to get a master’s degree in social work — a field she already has a bachelor’s degree in — Kario occupies herself with her passions. Employed as a direct support professional at Dungarvin, she’s also made a business out of her being an astrologer, tarot reader, and pagan witch. Her summer weekends have been filled with events at which she’ll consult visitors of her booth using her expertise. Embracing people to help them navigate their day-to-day lives is one of her favorite parts of her combined roles.

“I really enjoy meeting people, connecting with them, helping them with their problems, and getting more insights into their lives by learning more about their needs,” Kario said. “I feel like I do that with astrology. With social work, that’s what I was taught to do. I help people identify their needs and address them as best as I possibly can.”

Back in June, Kario was a vendor at the Strawberry Moon Market in Fort Wayne, where she had plenty of opportunities to meet with a wide variety of attendees. She’s come a long way since first posting casually about astrological occurrences online in the spring of 2024. Her successes as a small-business owner have encouraged her to keep going, the future being laden with possibilities.

“After doing a few successful events both this year and last, I thought, ‘I can definitely continue doing this. This is great.’ I was able to make money, so I want to keep finding events to do,” Kario said. “I’ve begun to establish a rapport and connection with a lot of the places I’ve been to, like the Witches Brew in South Bend, and I’ve been invited back everywhere, so that helps me stay motivated.”

To Kario, there’s a neat link between social work and astrology. She’s found that she’s able to seamlessly blend the two in all that she does, which has enhanced her abilities to be effective in her positions. Her eyes are set on building up her brand, StarWoman, as she wishes to expand her influence.

“Social work helps me to be better at working with and helping others, especially when it comes to the people who come to me for tarot readings. They come because they have problems they want to work through; they have things they want to talk about, so being a social worker has supported me in learning how to communicate better overall,” Kario said.

Among other things, Kario oversees her own coven. Her friends were the first ones to join, and she hopes to attract more followers any way she can. Beyond that, as soon as she graduates from her master’s program, she’s looking to become a therapist, one in charge of her own private practice. She doesn’t have any plans to eventually quit on her more passionate pursuits, however.

“My future is bright. I’m planning on becoming a therapist, and then I still am going to run my business with my astrology and tarot. I’m going to keep expanding it more, and I’m hoping that, once I build up more of a community with it, I can start teaching my own classes and doing more educational stuff,” Kario said. “I even want to start my own YouTube channel and a podcast. I have big, big plans.”

Planning aside, when she comes across time for herself, Kario enjoys reading and writing poetry. In fact, she’s in the process of working on a book of fiction about a reincarnated witch concerned with remaining connected to her roots and fulfilling her legacy. Additionally, she gravitates to anything having to do with spells of all kinds. She’s never against streaming reality TV shows, either, and she’s a huge fan of those twisted sci-fi movies, such as “The Truman Show” and “Donnie Darko.”

Around her hometown, Kario goes on walks to stay in touch with nature. She’s grateful for the closeness to her friends she feels. Everything about living where she does brings her satisfaction.

“I truly appreciate all the different people I’ve met around this area. I’ve met so many amazing people, and there are so many cool people who live nearby,” Kario said. “I love visiting the cool places that exist, too, and there are so many interesting vendor spots around. Here I’m engaging in some sort of activity that fulfills me and enriches me all the time.”