Do you believe in magic?
If you said yes, you’re in the right place.
If you said no, well, you’re also in the right place.
Magic gets a bad rap. Too often condemned to the realm of hocus-pocus and abracadabra, I believe true magic is innate, and available to us at any time.
There is magic in a song or a certain turn of phrase. There is magic in the way these words are shepherded from a screen, to your eyes or ears, to your mind, where they blossom with meaning. There is magic in connection.
There is magic in being human, no smoke or mirrors required.
What is The Magic Hour?
As a wise person (a therapist) once told me, we are meant to be in community. This word has come to mean a lot of things over the years, but these days, it feels more important than ever.
Community is at the heart of this newsletter — a place for always-honest, often-vulnerable writing about creativity, relationships, work, fears, inspiration, humor, hope, and other facets of personhood.
My aim is to provide a space for soft landings, warm gatherings, and the occasional spark of hope, humor, and understanding.
In a world inundated with marketing cosplaying as narrative and robots masquerading as human, The Magic Hour celebrates the power of our stories, ideas, and lived experiences. The magic of being human.
The Magic Hour publishes on Sunday evenings, to help usher us into the coming week.
Letters typically include a personal essay paired with something reflective, uplifting, or inspiring — a card reading, recommendation, short feature, or found treasure.
Free subscribers are guaranteed one letter per month. Paid subscribers receive it every week.
Paid subscribers also get:
Access to Magic Hours — community offerings including meetups, live communal card readings, and workshops.
Full access to past issues.
Access to comments, chat threads, and audio recordings.
First dibs on booking 1:1 readings and creative consults. (New appointments are posted every month and typically sell out within 24 hours.)
About Me
Hi, I’m Caroline, a writer who lives in Brooklyn.
In my previous lives, I’ve worked as a New York Times bestselling ghostwriter, acquiring editor at Penguin Random House, and editor at the beloved site Cup of Jo.
My writing has appeared in places like The Cut, Elle, The Washington Post, Refinery29, and The Zoe Report. I’m also the author of Best Babysitters Ever, a middle grade book series about three girls who start a business inspired by The Baby-Sitters Club and get a lot more than they bargained for.
This newsletter began as a weekly practice during a personally challenging time. Four years later, it’s become a deeply meaningful part of my work, with a warm and thoughtful readership beyond my dreams.
If you have any questions, you can reach me at carolinecala@substack.com.
Thank you so much for reading.
[Magic hour photo by Petr Vyšohlíd.]
