Callie Byrnes

I write about astrology, tarot, and pop culture. ✨ Site director and editing manager. Check out my upcoming book, ‘The Words We Left Behind,’ out in January, 2024.

8 Questions with
Callie Byrnes

1

Where do you draw inspiration from?

I have a tendency to dwell on moments, even if they aren’t particularly special. Yesterday when I was on a walk, I saw a kite shaped like a dragon stuck in a tree, and all I could think was “There’s a metaphor in there somewhere.” When I write, I’m always trying to find that metaphor.

2

You’re hosting a dinner party this Friday and can invite five people. The catch: These diners can be anyone, dead or alive. You also don’t need to know them IRL. That said, who are you having over?

I could say something meaningful here, or I could just give you my real answer, which is this: Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, and Liam Payne—either we’re getting the band back together or I’m getting a very tense dinner and a lot to gossip about, and either way that’s a win to me.

3

What was the last thing you read that moved you?

‘The White Book’ by Han Kang

4

If AIM was still A Thing, what would your away message be?

Is it wrong that I don’t remember enough about AIM to really have an answer to this? Does this make me a bad Millennial?

5

What would the title of your memoir be?

“I Swear I’m Not Making This Shit Up (But Sometimes I Wish I Was)”

6

How would your best friend describe you?

Straight from the mouth of a true BFF: “Kind, loyal, colorful. Someone who pushes me to do the right thing but also encourages me to take risks.”

7

Favorite word, and why?

Quintessential. I’m not really sure why, but from the moment I learned it I’ve been drawn to it. Honorary mentions: Surreal, lachrymose, ethereal.

8

If you could give one piece of advice to everyone in the world, what would you say?

Dump him ❤️
But maybe more realistically I should say that you should choose to spend your time around people who not only make you feel loved but who also allow you to take up as much space as you need, who appreciate the nuances that make you who you are, and who encourage you to become everything that you can be—and that you should choose to be that person for others.