OPEN YOUR LETTERBOX, NOT ANOTHER APP.
Real letters that ask you to stop for a moment, and remind you what actually matters.
WHAT IS "LETTERS FROM ARCANA"?
Give yourself a break from the screen and read a letter.
Every month you’ll receive a real, printed letter* and a Healing Fiction story that stays with you. Step away from the noise, put the phone down, and let something reach you properly.
With every story comes a hand-painted postcard and a prompt card with questions to carry you through the next four weeks.
We begin in September as a closed group. Claim one of the founding places now.
*Full transparency: I write one letter by hand on my tablet and have it printed for everyone. These are not individually written letters. I would love to offer that, but there simply isn’t the time.
"What are you looking for?"
When the little brass bell announces a new customer at Arcana, the owner, Sophia McMillan, already knows what they’re looking for. Especially in the figurative sense.
She has a habit of giving small gifts that make very little sense at first, and whose worth only shows itself later.
Each month tells the story of one person who came through her door, and what it set in motion.
A LOOK INSIDE
HERE'S WHAT ARRIVES
A LETTER
I write the letter by hand and have it reproduced for the mailing. The greeting and the signature are genuinely individual. I write about my life as an author and share my own path towards a deeper, more meaningful life.
A STORY
I'm a novelist, so of course I'm sending you a story. These belong to the Healing/Inspirational Fiction genre: they circle around self-love, forgiveness, personal growth, courage, inner strength. More on that below. Each story runs to 15 to 20 A5 pages.
A PROMPT CARD
As a certified life coach, it matters to me that you're supported on your own path. The questions match the theme of the month and help you understand yourself better, notice what's blocking you, and grow. On a sturdy card you can carry with you, pin up, or stand on your desk.
A POSTCARD
For every letter I make a postcard that matches the theme of the month and the story. It's there to keep you company through the weeks and remind you what counts.
Real letter
Exclusive postcard
Inspirational, uplifting short story
Journaling prompts or other cards that fit the month's theme and inspire you to reflect on your own life.
TIME LEFT TO JOIN THE FOUNDING GROUP
€16.75
Pay €16.75 monthly, or €50.25 once for the whole founding round (the fourth month is free). Prices include VAT. Roughly £14 / $18 per month, depending on the exchange rate on the day.
Starts: 1 Sep 2026
Your first envelope goes out in the first days of September. Then one every month until December.
Ends: 31 Dec 2026
Four mailings in total. In December you decide whether you'd like to carry on.
Limited places
The founding group is small on purpose. Once it's full, it's full.
Sent from Germany
Everything is written, made and packed in Germany and sent by Deutsche Post. Allow seven to fourteen days for delivery, depending on where you are.
More questions?
The FAQ section below should cover them. If not, contact me!
WELCOME TO ARCANA
(click the images)
SOPHIA MCMILLAN
ARCANA
PORT MORRINGTON
TIEFE & SINN
Sample
Lines from September's story "Wildflowers", page 9 of 16.
„How can I help you, miss?“ asks the woman behind the counter. That must be Sophia McMillan, the owner. My colleague Michael described her as a modern witch, but I’d have said esoteric hippie.
„Um, hi,“ I say, and step forward. A black cat is lying on a velvet cushion right on the counter. I eye it warily and hope it likes people. (…) „I’m looking for a gift for my mother-in-law. She’s retiring and I’d like to give her something small. Could you recommend anything?“
Sophia plays with her necklaces and looks at me thoughtfully. „What sort of person is she?“
How do I put this? „She’s … formidable, I’d say. Always on top of everything. She worked in management at the Grand Park Hotel.“
Sophia nods. „How about this?“ She comes round the counter and walks straight to a shelf of notebooks. „A pocket diary with seven columns, so every day gets exactly the same amount of room.“
I leaf through it. It sits beautifully in the hand, leather-bound, clearly well made.
(… a few minutes later, at the till:)
From between spools of thread and a stack of brown paper bags she pulls out a small pouch, tied with a length of cord. On the old-fashioned label, in pale blue handwriting: „Wildflowers.“ Sophia sets it down with my things.
„For my mother-in-law as well?“ I ask.
„No,“ Sophia says, kindly but at a slight distance. „That one’s for you.“
I look at the pouch, then at her. „I don’t have a garden.“
„A balcony will do. Or any meadow you happen to walk past. Take a few minutes and scatter them wherever you like, just for the pleasure of it. However you want.“
A monthly letter subscription (founding round: September to December 2026) from the fictional shop Arcana. Each month brings:
- ✨ A letter from me (Annika) with glimpses of my own path and thoughts on the theme of the month
- ✨ A postcard
- ✨ A short story about Sophia and her shop of magical odds and ends
- ✨ A journaling prompt on the monthly theme, as an affirmation card (or another fitting enclosure)
Yes. As long as Deutsche Post delivers to your country, Letters from Arcana can reach you. Everything is posted from Germany, so allow seven to fourteen days.
The founding group has 50 spots in total. If spots are remaining, you need to sign up before the 15th in order to get your mail.
The founding round is a fixed four-month term, so it can’t be cancelled early. Your statutory right of withdrawal is unaffected. Your subscription ends automatically in December, and you only pay through November.
Registration for the founding round closes on 13 August 2026. If spots are left, you can signup for October after 20 August.
Physical letters. Properly old school.
Why?
Because nothing beats finding post in your letterbox that you’ve been looking forward to. In an age where everything is a screen, I’d like to invite you to stay deliberately offline for a while and read a real letter instead of swiping through another reel.
No. I don’t write a separate handwritten letter to each person, because at some point that stops being possible.
What does matter to me: I write by hand and then have it reproduced. The greeting and the signature really are written on the paper.
Yes, absolutely! You’ll get the return address with your first letter.
„Arcana“ is Latin for „secrets“, and that’s what Sophia McMillan named her shop in the fictional harbour town of Port Morrington.
The shop sells homeware, stationery, and everything you might want for a ritual: candles, crystals, essential oils.
The unusual thing about Arcana is Sophia herself. She has a particular gift for sensing what a customer needs before they’ve worked it out themselves. So she might send one woman home with a certain tea, another man with a strange book, and somebody else with a letter opener, a hair clip, or an origami crane. And you can be quite sure that this is the thing that will make the difference