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Sometimes It’s Scary All Year Round
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A Mucci Spores mental-wellbeing campaign · Mycology · Wellbeing · Community
ON THIS PAGE: Open-minded, responsible · Why Mucci · Our approach · Richard’s story · Speak to us
Halloween gives us one night to play with fear. For some people, it never ends there.
We dress up, tell ghost stories and turn fear into something colourful, theatrical and fun. Then the decorations come down, the lights go back on and, for most of us, Halloween is over.
But fear does not always disappear on 1 November.
For someone struggling with their mental health, life can feel frightening every day, every month, or for years at a time. The fear may not look dramatic from the outside. It can be the fear of another sleepless night, opening a message, walking into work, admitting that things are not okay, or simply not knowing how long the feeling will last.
That is the reason for this campaign—not to take the enjoyment out of Halloween, and not to turn somebody’s mental health into seasonal marketing. It is a reminder that while Halloween makes fear visible for one night, many people carry an invisible version of it throughout the year.
01 / OPEN-MINDED, WITH CLEAR BOUNDARIES
We understand why this conversation exists.
This campaign does not suggest that spores or any Mucci product can treat, prevent or cure a mental-health condition. Mucci products remain strictly for microscopy and taxonomy purposes.
That does not mean we are naïve about why people are interested in this area, and we are not going to insult anyone’s intelligence by pretending the wider conversation does not exist. We understand the history, the questions and why the research matters. Understanding that conversation, however, is not the same as making claims that we cannot legally or responsibly make.
Being responsible does not mean closing down the conversation or pretending that research is standing still. Scientific investigation into psilocybin-assisted therapy and mental health continues in controlled clinical settings, including UK research involving psychological support. What that evidence may eventually mean for treatment, policy or future regulation is still developing.
Personally, I fully support legitimate research into psilocybin-assisted therapy, and I believe in its potential when it is properly researched, responsibly supported and delivered within appropriate clinical and legal frameworks. This blog is not the place for a political or legal debate, and we are not here to force a one-sided or biased view on anybody. We are here to acknowledge the work, support responsible research and continue standing alongside the wider movement as the evidence, law and public understanding develop.
If you are open-minded, we encourage you to read the published research for yourself, ask questions and follow credible evidence wherever it leads. You may find some of the answers you are looking for—or better questions. That means independent learning, self growth and empowerment via mycology, and if we can help support along the way then we have done our bit.
Mucci can and will remain curious and support legitimate research that may lead, while being completely honest about where the law, evidence and our products stand today. Open-minded and responsible are not opposites.
Further reading: NIHR clinical research · UK Government research position
Open-minded and responsible are not opposites.
02 / WHY MUCCI IS TALKING ABOUT IT
See the human before the transaction.
Mucci Spores began in 2017 as a microscopy-focused spores business, but the conversations around it were never only about products.
People talked. They asked questions. They shared ideas, difficult experiences and parts of life that do not always fit neatly into the mainstream. Over time, Mucci became more than just a shop. It became a place where education, community, alternative thinking and genuine human contact mattered.
People remember how they were treated—especially when somebody made the effort to listen when they did not have to. Trust is not created through polished statements or automated replies. It grows when people feel heard, remembered and treated fairly.
That is what People Before Profits means to us. It is not anti-business theatre. It means refusing to squeeze every interaction for immediate gain, and recognising that kindness, fairness and long-term relationships have real value.
03 / HUMAN-LED TECHNOLOGY
The poster might be polished. The message is still human.
You might see a striking poster, a carefully edited image or a polished campaign label and assume that technology created the whole thing. We are happy to use modern tools when they help us communicate an idea clearly and bring a strong design to life.
But the technology is not the heart of it. We are.
We do not sit back and allow a tool, a trend or an automated system to run away with an idea that is not true to Mucci, its ethos or the people behind it. The concept, the words, the judgement and the final decision remain human-led. Technology can help shape the presentation, but it does not get to decide what we believe or why we are saying it.
Everything we put out should still carry something real from us: our experiences, our values, our imperfections and our reason for doing it in the first place. If the design catches someone’s eye, that is useful. If the honesty behind it makes somebody feel understood, that is the part that matters.
04 / WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO
A holistic understanding. A human route.
We are not claiming to be clinicians, counsellors or an emergency service. We are not pretending that one conversation can solve everything—but it could spark an alternative route, a different question or a next step that feels more human.
But that does not mean we do not understand mental health. Our understanding comes from lived experience—from seeing the effect it can have on family members, close friends, colleagues and people throughout the wider community. We have seen how silence, isolation and the feeling of not being understood can wear somebody down, and how far the consequences can reach.
That lived experience gives us a human and holistic understanding. We fully respect clinical and medical legislation, as well as the pressures and constraints those systems can place on mental-health support and the routes towards a person’s total wellbeing. We do not diagnose conditions, prescribe treatment or replace qualified medical care. Instead, we support independent learning, alternative thinking and self-empowerment, with honest human support alongside it.
If Mucci’s role ever develops into clinical or medical support in the future, trust me: we will be ready, and we will do it the Mucci way. But let’s be real—we are not a revolt movement and we are not politically driven. Any such development would happen through the appropriate qualifications, professional partnerships and regulatory frameworks.
Until then, we will be honest about our boundaries without pretending that we know nothing or have nothing useful to offer. Our holistic approach and ethos will continue to guide the way towards a better tomorrow for mental health and a pathway to total physical and mental wellness—not merely a temporary fix.
We do, and always will, speak with what we call “streetwise lived experience.” If you do not know what that means, come and speak to us. You will understand the Mucci ethos, our alternative approach and how we may be able to help you find the right next step. Honest, real and supportive—that is the vibe.
Listen
Without immediately judging or trying to sell something.
Real talk. Real people.
Without hiding behind corporate language.
See the person
Not a label, case number or transaction.
Signpost responsibly
Professional help matters when that is what somebody needs.
Stay human
Technology supports the relationship; it does not replace it.
Share something real
Useful words from people who understand difficult periods.
05 / WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU CONTACT MUCCI
A different option. Human to human.
If you or somebody else is in immediate danger, please use the emergency services or an urgent professional mental-health route first. Mucci is not an emergency service.
Mucci exists as a different, holistic option alongside mainstream support. We are not here to put people into boxes, reduce them to labels or treat them like case numbers. We are interested in the whole person and in creating an authentic human-to-human space where somebody can speak openly and be treated as an individual. What feels alternative today may become more widely understood or accepted in the future; for now, we can offer a different kind of conversation without pretending to replace medical care.
If you have tried the usual routes, you are not in immediate danger and you feel that a different, more holistic and human conversation may help, you are welcome to contact us.
No chatbot. No AI response. No purchase required.
It will be Richard or another real member of the Mucci team who responds. Richard is a trained Mental Health First Aider and has a longstanding personal and holistic interest in mental wellbeing. That does not make him a medical clinician, and Mucci does not diagnose or provide medical treatment—but it does mean the subject is understood, respected and taken seriously here.
You do not need to arrive with the right words. We want this to feel like a safe, human place to talk without being reduced to a queue number, a reference number or another transaction.
We aim to respond within 12 hours wherever possible and normally within 24 hours. Calling the landline or contacting us through WhatsApp is the quickest route. We are only human, so we may not always answer instantly—but when somebody responds, it will be a person.
We may not have every answer. Sometimes one honest conversation may be useful in itself. Sometimes the most responsible thing we can do is listen, help you consider the next step or signpost you towards the right kind of support. If that conversation helps one person feel seen, or makes one small part of their journey easier, then it has served its purpose.
06 / RICHARD’S STORY
The human origins of Mucci.
Mucci was not invented in a boardroom or assembled by a marketing department.
This is not a full “this is our life” reveal, packed with photos, videos, vlogs, product promotion and a carefully controlled narrative. It is simply a short introduction.
Let’s go back to ASL, BBM, the good old Nokia 3310, SMS, Nisa top-ups and phone boxes—even pen and paper slipped into the back pocket of your Levi’s on a night out. Too far back? Probably. 😂
ASL. BBM. The good old Nokia 3310. SMS. Nisa top-ups. Phone boxes. Even pen and paper slipped into the back pocket of your Levi’s on a night out. Too far back? Too far. 😂
You may already have noticed that we are a little alternative—in a good way. We will go into more depth over time, and we hope you will get to know us along the way: as part of the Mucci ethos, the wider mycology community and the bigger mental-health picture we are trying to bring into view.
Mucci’s story began in 2017, after Richard and Joshua met at Sheldon Fire Station. Joshua was a co-founder of Mucci Spores and remains part of its history. Richard has described him as “The Dark Knight”—someone who did things his own way for the greater good.
“We are proud of the shadows, and now grateful for them. They gave us lived experience and show what can emerge—and what can be created—from them.”
We may be leaning on a well-known film trilogy here—it is in my personal top three—but this is not a movie. This is real life, and real life can make the light very hard to see.
A well-known film trilogy? Yes. Personal top three? Absolutely. But this is not a movie. This is real life—and real life can make the light very hard to see.
That does not mean romanticising struggle, claiming that we are better than the next person or pinning another medal of war to the uniform. It means carrying real, reliable experience. It means remembering that those experiences helped found the Mucci values and ethos—something that cannot simply be copied or replicated.
A fake T-shirt is still fake, however convincing it looks—although, let me be honest, I’ll take a decent 1:1 clone over the £350 Selfridges option any day of the week. Different conversation. 😂
A fake T-shirt is still fake. However convincing it looks. Although, let me be honest: I’ll take a decent 1:1 clone over the £350 Selfridges option any day of the week. Different conversation. 😂
All jokes aside, it makes us appreciate the struggles, understand where we came from and recognise the people who were really there. It also helps us recognise what support was missing then—and what is still missing now—when people find themselves living through darker times.
I may have walked with kings but never lost the human touch.
08 / WE HEAR YOU. WE SEE YOU.
If you need to speak, our door is open.
NO TRICK OR TREAT REQUIRED
Leave us a message and a real person will respond as soon as we can. No trick or treat required.
We aim to respond within 12 hours wherever possible and normally within 24 hours.
Call Team Mucci: 0121 630 1886
WhatsApp a real person: 07544 065169
Explore all Mucci contact options →
Important: Mucci offers human conversation and holistic community support, but it is not a clinical, counselling or emergency service. If you or somebody else is in immediate danger, contact the emergency services. For medical concerns, contact an appropriately qualified professional.
Richard