{"id":218710,"date":"2026-03-13T22:19:17","date_gmt":"2026-03-13T22:19:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/218710\/"},"modified":"2026-03-13T22:19:17","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T22:19:17","slug":"magic-finds-a-home-at-long-beachs-twelfth-house-tea-sanctuary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/218710\/","title":{"rendered":"Magic finds a home at Long Beach\u2019s Twelfth House Tea Sanctuary"},"content":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s a type of magic that occurs when someone is following their purpose; a harmony between them and the universe, which to the outside viewer may look like coincidence. In actuality, some may say, it\u2019s the universe rewarding them for obeying their intuition.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That\u2019s what Ana Luna and Jasmine Thong feel when they walk into Twelfth House Tea Sanctuary<\/a>, a community wellness and art space they own on Willow Street. The longtime friends have carved out a unique third space over the past two years, hosting intentional and affordable events that cover an array of interests.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Tarot card readings, creative writing workshops, somatic health activities, life drawing sessions, a Kali Uchis album listening party, group cuddles \u2014 there are no limits at Twelfth House. Just a desire to express oneself and grow in a safe, inclusive environment.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWithin the last few years it\u2019s like, I know I\u2019m walking in my purpose. And because I walk in my purpose, the doors keep opening,\u201d Luna said. \u201cThat doesn\u2019t mean that these doors or these opportunities are always going to be like flowers and glitter. It\u2019s gonna be like, hey, check this out. Everything is a lesson \u2026 and everything is a blessing.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s almost like, synchronistic,\u201d Thong adds. \u201cLike we\u2019re just co-creating with the universe.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Ana Luna (left) and Jasmine Thong (right) have known one another for over a decade, and joke the universe kept bringing them together over the years through a series of coincidence so they could start Twelfth House Tea Sanctuary. The West Long Beach wellness, art and third space has open hours for lounging and a calendar full of spiritual, creative and affordable events. (Justin Enriquez | Signal Tribune)<\/p>\n

They\u2019ve also been creating alongside the community. Nearly every event at Twelfth House, from the spiritual to the artistic, has come from the minds of visitors, friends and locals who\u2019ve grown to call the space a second home. And it\u2019s an easy place to feel at home \u2014 the living room-style area lends itself to rearranging (which they do often), while the oversized couches, pastel floor pillows and woven rugs invite you to stay awhile.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Twelfth House\u2019s namesake is drawn from astrology, a longtime passion of Thong\u2019s, she explained. The twelfth house, ruled by Pisces, is where one finds power in their subconscious, in the space between realms. It pulls people to follow their dreams and uncover secrets from within themselves.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cSo it\u2019s our secrets, our subconscious, our creativity, and our hidden talents,\u201d Thong said. \u201cI wanted to harness that energy when people come in here, like they find out things about themselves if they didn\u2019t know. Hopefully they\u2019re empowering, usually they are.\u2029But also, I just want people to feel like they\u2019re not on earth anymore when they come in here.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Jasmine delivers her mini astrology lesson about the twelfth house, a speaker in the corner of the room begins playing \u201cSecrets\u201d by Miley Cyrus, Lindsey Buckingham and Mick Fleetwood. She acknowledges the coincidence then quickly moves on. It\u2019s the type of thing that happens often to them since starting Twelfth House; meeting the exact people they need at the right time.<\/p>\n

In March, they boast a calendar full of events: a sisterhood circle for divine feminine energy, a free library launch party, a spring equinox with tea, tarot and a soundbath, a water magic workshop, a life drawing and an open mic night. For those not ready for an event, Twelfth House also has \u201cportal nights\u201d and \u201cdaylight hours,\u201d where visitors can enjoy blends of tea, watercolor painting, books and tarot decks or simply plop down to work while basking in the soft beams of light that shine through the red, pink and tan drapery.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"A cozy upstairs mezzanine mirrors its first floor counterpart, with lush rugs, lounging pillows and soft lighting. Twelfth House events are sometimes held in this upstairs area, owners Jasmine Thong and Ana Luna said. (Justin Enriquez | Signal Tribune)<\/p>\n

Visiting hours are free while events typically range from $15-25. Affordability and accessibility is a key aspect of their ethos; that health, wellness, art and spirituality should be for everyone. Both the daughters of immigrants, they envision a space where people of all ages and backgrounds can discover something about themselves.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like a lot of our parents don\u2019t take the time to do wellness events like this because like [Thong] was saying, they were too busy just trying to survive and put food on the table for us,\u201d Luna said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Their hope is to create a generational shift, Luna explained, where individuals can perhaps deviate from patterns that have existed in their families for generations, and grow in a new way. For others, it may mean discovering something that\u2019s been hidden inside themselves for years.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Having immigrated to Long Beach at 7 years old, it wasn\u2019t until she was an adult that Luna realized her own grandmother, who she said largely raised her, was the village healer in their neighborhood in Mexico. She remembers her grandmother had a kitchen full of herbs and alcohols each with their own purpose, and she recalled her grandmother doing limpias on her, a traditional Mexican cleansing ritual that removes negative energy and bad luck from a person.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Luna was raised as a Catholic once her family moved to America, then a heartbreak in her 20s led her to explore Christianity. In 2020, she began meditating and doing hours of tarot card readings with Thong and she finally felt it: the alignment she had been searching for.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"Jasmine Thong and Ana Luna sit together to talk with the Tribune. (Justin | Signal Hill)<\/p>\n

\u201cI was like, wait, I\u2019ve always been involved in things like this,\u201d Luna said. \u201cMy grandmother\u2019s like my biggest inspiration. Everything I do is based off of her because she pretty much raised me the first years of my life. So looking back, I\u2019ve always been around it and I think she kind of unlocked that first thing where she allowed me to believe in myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Thong, creating this space for wellness and spirituality was more of a \u201cfull circle moment.\u201d Having moved around various parts of Long Beach growing up, she has fond memories of attending the Khemara Buddhikarama Temple with her family, just one street away from where Twelfth House stands.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cMy grandpa would always tell me how everything has a spirit. Everything has a soul, so just respect everything,\u201d Thong said. \u201cI feel like innately, it\u2019s always just been in me.\u201d<\/p>\n

When she was in the 5th grade, Thong said she felt extremely shy and often wondered why she had a hard time connecting with the other girls in her grade. Then one day at Barnes and Noble, she read a book on astrology and things started clicking; why she was the way she was and why her classmates did the things they did.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI was like the witchy girl on the playground saying, \u2018Okay, we have three main signs,\u2019\u201d Thong remembers, laughing. \u201cI was trying to tell the kids at the playground and I became weirder, but I understood myself more and then I understood why everyone else was the way they were \u2026\u2029And ever since then I just became more into quantum physics and how to bring that together with magic and how to make things happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Ana Luna (left) and Jasmine Thong (right) sit together on one of many couches in Twelfth House Tea Sanctuary\u2019s living room-style area to talk with the Signal Tribune on Feb. 28, 2026. (Justin Enriquez | Signal Tribune)<\/p>\n

While inklings of spirituality exist in their pasts, the same can be said about their friendship. When the two originally met, Luna was working at a Jack-in-the-Box in Lakewood and Thong at a Verizon store in the same shopping center. Thong would often come in to order her midday iced tea and the two would make small talk. Years later, Thong and a friend were at a restaurant in Lakewood when she recognized her server as Luna.\u00a0<\/p>\n

At the time Thong was in cosmetology school, so she gave Luna her business card if she ever wanted to get her hair done. Years passed before Luna dug through her dresser searching for the lost card. Once she tracked Thong down, the two became friends.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe started talking about spirituality and everything, but it was just those little moments where we just kept aligning,\u201d Luna said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Both growing in their spirituality and craving a like-minded community years ago, Thong offered up her space, The Dancing Moon Salon<\/a> in the Zaferia district, for Luna to begin hosting sound baths. Before long they wanted their own space.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Family and friends helped them transform the building when they decided to make the jump and fully fund their dream space. Thong\u2019s father painted the walls a sandy brown, Luna\u2019s 80-year-old grandfather built the spiral staircase that leads to the mezzanine. Together they handcrafted the four dazzling chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling, reflecting its shimmers off the dozen or so mirrors hanging or sitting on floors and shelves.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe only help that we had from our family was their hands \u2026 That\u2019s the immigrant dream, you know?\u201d Thong said.<\/p>\n

The smell of burnt sage floats through the air as Jasmine and Anna reminisce on how the time has passed since opening Twelfth House.\u00a0<\/p>\n

With the help of family and local herbalists, Luna and Thong have expanded their tea knowledge to an impressive degree, evident by the dozens of jars and bags holding homemade blends. The names are other-worldy and the flavors are grounding: starlight, heartlight, beyonder, neptune\u2019s veil are just a few options.<\/p>\n

\"\"Tea blends from local herbalists are packed into various jars and bags, each with their own story, effect and intention, at Twelfth House Tea Sanctuary on Feb. 28, 2026. The space has its own Twelfth House blend, an earthy, calming tea made to enhance dreams. (Justin Enriquez | Signal Tribune)<\/p>\n

The blends, made by local herbalists Kelly from Green Wisdom<\/a> and Caroline of Caroline\u2019s Apothecary<\/a>, are as intricate and purposeful as they are colorful. They each have their own personal favorites (like damniana, a wild-grown Mexican herb Luna says she\u2019s obsessed with), and they highly recommend their house blend.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The last two years have been a struggle, they\u2019re not afraid to admit. Between Thong working seven days a week at\u00a0 The Dancing Moon Salon and Luna working full time as a speech therapist, there\u2019s no such thing as a work-life balance. What keeps them going?\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI think what always grounds me is people\u2019s reactions when they\u2019re here,\u201d Luna said. \u201cAnd then when they leave, they feel better about themselves. They feel better about life. I feel like I\u2019m doing something right when that happens.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the early evening of Feb. 27, the duo is cleaning up after a local crochet club\u2019s one-year anniversary party. The following evening they\u2019ll host a full moon sound bath with the intention to make way for new beginnings. It\u2019s fitting, since their journey is just getting started.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Twelfth House Tea Sanctuary is located at 1950 W. Willow St. Hours and events change monthly and can be found on their Instagram @12thhouselb<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"SamanthaSamantha DiazManaging Editor<\/p>\n

Samantha is an award-winning journalist, sports fanatic and mother. She\u2019s worked for the Signal Tribune for over three years and is passionate about covering environmental news, small businesses, mutual aid efforts and resources. <\/p>\n

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