Allison Mutha Magazine — Article

Her critics—and there are many, mostly on Reddit threads she claims not to read—call her a grifter. A purveyor of “late-capitalist spirituality.” A woman who sold her kombucha starter kit to buy an NFT of a depressed ape.

The official bio is tidy: Raised in Portland, dropped out of Reed College, spent six months at a silent retreat in Thailand. But the real turning point came during the pandemic. Stuck in a studio apartment, suffering from what she calls “the triple threat—anxiety, acne, and an algorithm that hated me”—she posted a video. allison mutha magazine article

As I pack up my recorder, Allison Mutha does one last thing. She pulls a tarot card from a gilded deck. The Four of Swords . Rest. Retreat. The grave. Her critics—and there are many, mostly on Reddit

“Babe,” she says, leaning forward. (She calls everyone “babe,” including the barista, her CFO, and apparently, journalists.) “You can’t heal your anxious attachment style if your rent is due. I provide the spiritual framework. Capitalism provides the distribution. I’m just the messenger.” But the real turning point came during the pandemic

“I realized that vulnerability is just strategy with better lighting,” she admits, then catches herself. “Wait, don’t print that. Print that I said ‘vulnerability is the ultimate armor.’ That sounds better.”

She pauses. Her phone, which is face-down on a woven coaster, buzzes. It is her assistant reminding her about her 3:00 PM “breathwork intensive” with a Goop-affiliated shaman.