New Business: The Vortex

The Vortex

The three business owners of Vortex didn’t all gather in one room until December 2023. It only took a handful of months for The Vortex to grow from a dream into a plan and finally into a business. Marísa Lilliana, Emma Manchester, and BrandiBette Smead have joined hands to create a spiritual nexus in Benicia.

“There was a knowing,” the women said as they described how they came together.

Smead is the magnet that drew the three together; a networking group, kismet, and a little bit of magic all made it possible for Vortex to exist. They joke that they represent the maiden, the mother, and the crone—the three aspects of the pagan triple goddess—but in a very real, tangible way, the bond that they share is clear. The flow of conversation was seamless, sentences began by one woman and were finished by another, all without any interruption. Smead put it beautifully: “it feels like we’ve known each other for centuries.”

Lilliana is a Benicia native, raised in the community that she is now pouring love back into. Smead moved to town from Ohio 18 years ago, and 10 years later, Manchester arrived from Wisconsin after a 2 year stay in San Francisco. Lilliana and Manchester laughed about how many times they all likely passed each other on First Street before finally meeting just at the end of last year.

And at the beginning of this year, Smead and Manchester’s shared studio rental ended. There, they had both performed reiki rituals in addition to other ceremonies and experiences. The two knew that they wanted to continue working together and began the hunt for their next space. Both were tired of having to leave town for the spiritual connections that they craved; toll, gas, and then, finally, the cost of the ritual was a paywall that bred inaccessibility for anyone in Solano County.

Smead, Manchester, and Lilliana

The mantra, “if it doesn’t exist, create it,” transformed into a repetitive admission of defeat: “we can’t afford it.”

Ideas and plans fell through. Costs were high. It felt like a dream that would never come to fruition until a fateful coffee meetup between Smead and Manchester. That was the day that their location, 619 First Street, became available. The timing was perfect, with Lilliana available to join them. A saga of dead ends suddenly became a mad dash to source merchandise and materials, define their business plan, and create a spiritual home.

You may recognize Smead, she has spent many years as Benicia Public Library’s Teen Librarian. Now, she is an experienced sound healer with a deep love and appreciation for the magnification effects of group work. Manchester’s former career as a nurse informs her rituals and ceremonies with strong somatic elements. And Lilliana has pivoted from a 9-5 to exploring different spiritual avenues, including channeled oracle readings.

The Vortex is a place where these three women are inviting you to come home to yourself.

It is a space to let go of your expectations and let life happen. This is a community that will encourage you to slow down, rest, and tune in to what your body is telling you. Here, you can find family, find place, and thrive.

As the business grows, and its community with it, accessibility, diversity, and inclusion will continue as the top priority. Not only were they adamant on a ground floor, wheelchair accessible space, but they immediately had an electric door opener installed.

Women sitting in a circle doing a breathwork practice at The Vortex

Besides ADA compliance, Vortex’s women are excited to cultivate a sober-inclusive community.

In a town that often glorifies alcohol and alcohol-centered activities, Lilliana, Manchester, and Smead are intentionally building a space where there is no pressure to participate in drinking culture. Beginning with tea ceremonies, The Vortex will be incorporating non-alcoholic events and rituals.

The Vortex is a safe space for children to explore themselves and the world around them. Wiggles and movement encouraged, childish wonder will only inspire the adults around to appreciate youth, imagination, and being without worry. Even Smead’s teen child and their friends felt comfortable and curious in the space, a valuable testament from the demographic most difficult to impress.

A comment on one of their social media posts read, “Benicia is not ready for witches,” however Lilliana, Manchester, and Smead all heartily disagree. “Benicia is haunted!” Manchester laughed, referring to Benicia’s long and complicated history. Benicia’s proximity to calming water, raucous past, and geography make it the perfect place for magic to brew.

But is it really magic?

Or is it an opposition to the status quo, a lesson in our ancestors’ very different way of coping with life’s challenges? A reminder that you can do things differently, you can be different from what is expected of you?

Overall, The Vortex and its leaders are interested in counteracting the capitalistic hustle-and-bustle of corporate life. In a society that pushes you to your limits, The Vortex is here to remind you to slow down and remember your body is a home, not a house. To remember to love yourself thoroughly and love each other unconditionally.