We’re looking forward to introducing you to Hope Hughes. Check out our conversation below.
Good morning Hope, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What’s more important to you—intelligence, energy, or integrity?
For me, integrity is everything. It’s the foundation of everything I create for my company with Matt, from the first sketch to the final product for customers. At Ethereal Visions Publishing, we aren’t interested in chasing trends or producing disposable, pop-culture-driven products. We create timeless, intentional works that are meant to be held, revisited, and cherished. Every deck and book is researched, written, and illustrated with care by real humans—artists and writers who pour their energy into every detail. In an age of mass production and fleeting attention spans, we choose to focus on quality, depth, and meaning. That’s where integrity lives, and we believe it shows in every product we release.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My husband, Matt Hughes, and I are the founders of Ethereal Visions Publishing—an independent studio devoted to creating tarot decks, oracle decks, journals, and illustrated books that blend traditional artistry with rich storytelling, mythology, folklore, magick, and esoteric symbolism.
What sets our work apart is our dedication to timelessness and creativity. We are the innovators behind Oracle and Tarot Book Decks—a unique fusion of beautifully illustrated cards, immersive short stories, introspective prompts, and guided journaling. Each collection is designed not just to be used, but to be experienced, inviting the reader into a layered, symbolic world that unfolds with meaning and purpose.
Matt is a classically trained illustrator whose work reimagines the romantic elegance of Art Nouveau through a Gothic lens. At the same time, I bring my background in mythology, witchcraft, folklore, and astrology to the narrative and symbolic framework of our creations. Together, we strive to bridge the visible and the unseen, tradition and innovation, through works that are meant to be held, cherished, and woven into the rituals of daily life.
At the heart of Ethereal Visions Publishing is a belief that mythology, folklore, and art are not abstract concepts, but living languages. We aim to create tools that help people ask better questions, engage with deeper truths, and reconnect with a sense of personal and ancestral memory.
We currently live and work with our four cats, Mina, Chester, Stormy, and Loki, who serve as both muses and mischievous companions. At the moment, we’re celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Ethereal Visions Tarot, shipping Lady Stirling’s Wicked Garden Book Deck, and developing several new projects that continue to push the boundary between visual beauty and inner exploration.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What part of you has served its purpose and must now be released?
That’s something I’m always working on. For me, it’s the need to be perfect and the habit of people-pleasing. Those parts of myself were useful once. They helped me feel safe and accepted. If I could do everything just right, if I could meet everyone’s expectations, maybe I wouldn’t face criticism or rejection.
But over time, I’ve realized those patterns come at a cost. They quiet my voice. They make me second-guess my intuition. They keep me performing instead of living. That mindset prevents me from creating the life and work I love. I’m learning to let go of that pattern my brain keeps circling. It’s okay to be imperfect. It’s okay to say no, and I’m starting to trust that being true to myself matters more than being liked by everyone.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
I’d tell her to ignore the criticism. Not everyone’s voice deserves space in your head. I’d remind her that it’s okay to ask for help and never to feel embarrassed about loving what she loves, no matter how weird or niche it seems. You don’t have to be perfect at everything. You really don’t. Just follow your own heart and let that be enough. You are loved. You’re not alone.
And honestly? I’d probably lean in and say, “Say the weird shit. Do the weird shit. That’s where the magic lives.”
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Where are smart people getting it totally wrong today?
I think many academics dismiss mythology, folklore, and storytelling as outdated or irrelevant. I think they feel like science has replaced them (although I do see this mindset changing). Myth and science aren’t opposites. We need both. Mythology and folklore are how we’ve always made sense of the unknown. It doesn’t just entertain us, but it also teaches, challenges, and stretches the imagination. And without imagination, what does science have to explore?
Stories foster creativity. They shape the mind to ask, What if? And, it’s from that question that innovation is born. If we ignore the mythic, we risk losing the part of ourselves that dreams beyond what we can prove.
One of my favorite quotes is from G.K. Chesterton: “Fairy tales do not tell children the dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed.” That’s the power of myth. It doesn’t deny reality; rather, it gives us courage to face it.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
Ah, the million-dollar question.
I’m Gen X, so I grew up feral—but with a steady barrage of expectations: go to college; choose a career that’s “appropriate” for a woman; get married; have kids; stay in that job until retirement, and above all, understand that your worth is tied to how well you care for everyone else.
Yeah… no.
I followed some of that script. I went to college. I married my high school sweetheart. I dabbled in different careers, including a stint in the fitness industry, but none of it really fit. I always felt forced. Unconventional. It felt as if I was waiting for my real path to show up.
Launching Ethereal Visions Publishing in 2017 changed everything. It gave me the space to create something meaningful; to blend art, myth, story, and magic in ways that feel authentic to who I am. It’s not always easy, but it’s the most fulfilled I’ve ever felt. I may not have followed the map I was handed, but I finally feel that I’m where I belong.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.etherealvisionstarot.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/etherealvisionspub/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@evpub
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/etherealvisionspub/
Image Credits
All images copyright Ethereal Visions Publishing, LLC and Matt Hughes
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
