Last weekend saw the World of Witches Museum in Salem, Massachusetts permanently close its doors. Opened in the Summer of 2010, the museum represented “a coming of age for the Witch movement, which allows us to recognize that we do have a history worthy of sharing” according to Rev. Don Lewis, Curator of the Museum, and chief executive officer of the Correllian Nativist Tradition. However, due to a string of misfortunes, staying open was no longer a viable option. In a statement sent to The Wild Hunt, Rev. Don Lewis recounted the many challenges the museum faced, and the health problems that finally made him decide that closing was the best option.
Rev. Don Lewis and Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll at the museum’s opening.
“This last Halloween season was especially hard for a lot of Salem businesses. The whole season was somewhat slow, but the snowstorm on Saturday of Halloween weekend, which would be anticipated as the biggest shopping day of the season, was devastating. I had hoped that this winter would be better than the previous one and it turned out to be as mild a winter as the previous year’s winter had been severe -but in a town geared to a single holiday off season business was just as hard and slow with a mild winter. A number of Salem businesses have found it necessary to either close or move to new locations this spring, especially in the Pickering Wharf area.
At the beginning of the March I found myself in the hospital with cardiac problems exacerbated by stress and exhaustion. It was made clear to me that I needed to make some changes in my life and could no longer sustain the workload I had been carrying. Although there were people I could trust and rely upon to help in the short term, and they did help tremendously, there was no one available that I could see as a long term manager for the Museum. Closing the Museum was a very hard choice, but it is one I felt I had to make.”
The World of Witches Museum is the second Witch-related business in the Pickering Wharf area to close its doors in recent months.
Read more at The Wild Hunt
pada-viya:
I’m going to this with the rockin littlecitywitch. Pagan national conference in Toronto! For some reason it doesn’t seem to have been very well advertised, so pass the word!
Facebook Event Website
“The seventh Canadian National Pagan Conference, Gaia Gathering, will be held at New College, University of Toronto, Ontario over the May long weekend, May 18th - 21st, 2012.
The theme will be “Building the Mosaic.”
In addition to conference panel discussions, workshops and talks, the artistic element of the conference will focus on a photographic art exhibit …”
If you can make it to Toronto for this, do! And pass on the word.
I’ll be sure to take lots of pictures of the vendors for this tumblr :)
Mysteries, 9-11 Monmouth Street, London, UK
I have no write-up about them to quote from their website, because there isn’t one on their website.
Their website is a gimmicky spectacle. Instead of actually saying what the shop is about in their “About” section, they have quotes about the awesomeness of the shop and a list of celebrity customers. It’s gross.
And this whole idea of encouraging people to choose their reader based on the person’s picture and offering telephone readings is also super gross. It’s like one of those late-night psychic hotlines.
Reviews are mixed: I think the advanced practitioners find it a bit basic and even sensationalized, while beginner practitioners find it a great place to buy tools, and mainstream folks are drawn to it almost as a spectacle.
More reviews
The reviews of the shop’s psychic readers are very mixed — I suspect it’s partly because they have quite a few, and some are bound to better than others, but also because this shop seems to attract a mostly mainstream, non-witchy clientele, and non-witchy folks who are just in it for the spectacle don’t always understand how readings work. They expect the reader to tell them that they’re going to suddenly get rich next week, and then get pissed when that doesn’t happen.
If you go here, you can do a 360 map view of inside and outside of the shop. It’s definitely got a lot of stock (I notice that a lot of it looks perhaps a bit plasticy though, and it doesn’t seem like there’s anything hand-made or brewed in the shop).
(photo credits: 1-3, 4-6)
More pictures here. Facebook (not updated)
Star Child, 2-4 The Courtyard, High Street, Glastonbury, England
From their website: “Pure Essential Oils, Hand Blended Incense, Bath & Massage Oils Hand-Made Ceramics, Herbs, Natural Perfumes, Hand-Made Candles
Star Child has been supplying fine quality blended botanicals since 1969.
All of our products are created, blended and packaged by hand in Glastonbury, England. We source high quality materials from all over the World aiming to work with organic and sustainable growers wherever possible to create high quality products such as Aromatherapy essential oils, incense, bath oils and botanicals. We do not use any synthetic additives in any of our products, selecting only the best materials for all of our blends which in turn we make available as raw ingredients for you to use for your own purpose.
We work with the cycles of the Moon to collect materials for our magical lunar infusions which we then add to all of our magical blends. We believe in working with the natural rhythm of the Earth and in doing so create truly potentised magical products.”
I love everything about this shop, and their website is an excellent source of information. For example, for the essential oils, they give planetary associations, history and mythology, magical uses, the use in aromatherapy, how to care for the oil, and they even give safety warnings, which far too shops do with essential oils.
I love the idea of tree perfumes, and they seem to know exactly what they’re doing with herbs and essential oils, both medically and spiritually. This is really the kind of witchy practice I connect with personally.
Lots of positive reviews.
A brief review of the witchy shops in Glastonbury, from 2009.
From a short review: “… there is something attractively alchemical about it all. Almost as if Boots the Chemist had been taken over and consumed by the Harry Potter franchise. It’s all beautifully done and the scents and soft music that fill Star Child simply combine to make it a perfect package …”
(Photo Credits: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7-8)
Thanks to lonelymoonchild for the shop suggestion!
The Sacred Circle metaphysical store and New Age center burned down yesterday in Long Branch, New Jersey.
The fire started in another store and quickly spread throughout the block. No human people were hurt, but several animal people were killed.
Send Sacred Circle positive energy and well-wishes on their Facebook Page. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sacred-Circle/124951148229
pagannews:
On Wednesday the Salem News reported that Laurie Cabot, Salem, Massachusetts’ official Witch, would be closing the doors of The Official Witch Shoppe at the end of January, bringing to an end Cabot’s 42-year run of owning and operating Witch-related stores in Salem. The Salem News piece quotes a message sent out by Cabot on January 6th, detailing the reasons why Cabot is stepping back from personally running a retail establishment.
Laurie Cabot
“Here I sit now, reflecting on my life as a Witch, my goals, challenges and successes both in the past and what will be in the future. My goals have changed, my focus must now change to meet those goals and it is to that end that I have decided to gear my focus to our temple, the first ever temple of Witchcraft in Salem, the Cabot Kent Hermetic Temple, what an event! In 1692 people in Salem township were killed in the name of Witchcraft, murdered when there is no evidence to support they were even Witches or knew what Witches were, and now today we have founded our temple in its place! We are working to replace fear and hate with hope, love and majick. My goal is to is to see this temple flourish, I want to see us have a building, a real place where anyone can come and learn about Witchcraft, the science, the art and the religion. A place where you can learn about your Celtic ancestors, our Gods and Goddesses, where we can use majick and cast spells to heal the world.”
Read more at The Wild Hunt
The Official Witch Shoppe, 62 Wharf St, Salem, Mass, USA
This is Laurie Cabot’s shop. Laurie Cabot is a high-profile and world-famous (but mostly famous in the US) witch. She’s written a few books and founded some witchcraft groups, and in the 1970s was declared the official witch of Salem.
She first opened The Witch Shoppe in 1970, then later opened Crow Haven Corner, then The Cat, the Crow, and the Crown, and then finally The Official Witch Shoppe.
The Official Witch Shoppe opened Nov 2010, and is now closing down. Crow Haven Corner still exists, but is owned by someone else now. The other two don’t exist anymore.
From The Official Witch Shoppe website: “Laurie established her Witch Shop initially for the purpose of educating people that magic (or Majick as it is known in the Cabot Tradition) is real, beneficial and exists and that Witchcraft is not devil worship or evil. Ultimately her first shop and her subsequent stores have supplied Magical people and Witches of all traditions with all the tools and supplies required to perform their own Majick.
The tools of witchcraft are Majick wands, herbs, potions, candles, crystals, incense, magical jewelry, spell kits, mirrors, cords and Tarot. Many of the items in The Official Shoppe are “one of a kind creations” by Laurie Cabot. She infuses her Majick into each item.
Everyone who works at The Official Witch Shoppe is a Witch, trained in the Cabot Tradition by Laurie Cabot. As a result, these employees are qualified to answer any questions and assist you in the use of the tools or spell components.
In addition to majick craft, The Official Witch Shoppe offers the services of Psychic readers/healers. All of the Official Witch Shoppe readers/healers are from the Cabot Tradition and are personally trained in psychic sciences by Laurie Cabot herself and are some of the most accurate Readers in the world today. All of our Readers are skilled in healing, a service offered without charge.”
The ‘Cabot Tradition’? The whole thing is a bit over the top.
From Wikipedia: “Laurie Cabot is also known for what some people call “playing off” witchcraft too much to gain wealth, especially in terms of her store The Cat The Crow and The Crown. Many have claimed Cabot’s store to lack credibility, saying it is merely a tourist attraction designed for tourists to spend their money and not filled with legitimate products for actual Witch or Wiccan purpose. An example of this being the fancy wands sold with unnecessary gems and stones that look more dazzled than they actually need to be if used. Or the pre-packaged spells that Cabot sells, in which some Witches and Wiccans claim would never work due to them being pre-packaged. Cabot has been alleged of overpricing her products and psychic readings in comparison to the other local psychics and Witch shops.”
A youtube video of Laurie walking someone through her old shop The Cat the Crow and the Crown. I like the style of the shop, all classicly witchy looking, and I like that she makes potions. I’m skeptical about some of the stuff though, especially the way she says “some of these are essential oils” and then goes on about the blends being natural … I feel like she was deliberately obscuring that a good lot of what she’s selling clearly isn’t natural, and I just have huge issues with that, which is a tangent for another day.
There are lots more videos on her youtube channel.
Website (information about Laurie and the online version of the witch shoppe, which will remain open) Facebook Laurie Cabot on Wikipedia
(photo credits: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
The Vintage Garden Tea Room, 35 Pine St, Hamilton, Canada
I wouldn’t normally post a tea room here, but I love this idea of having a tea leaf reader as part of your tea room. It’s so obvious. And interesting, because tea rooms are not known as witchy places, so clients are being introduced to witchy practices in an environment they might feel safer in, rather than in an actual witchy shop. Of course, it could totally backfire and make a mockery of divination in general.
From their Facebook: “A cup of tea is always welcome. Join us for tea in a relaxing and comfortable atmosphere. China cups and vintage linens will enhance your visit. Our tea room also features:
Over 30 loose leaf teas to try or take away, Weekly tea leaf readings (see below or call for more details), Quilts, homemade jams, loose leaf tea and other tea accessories are available for purchase, Homemade baked goods, soups, salads, sandwiches and more are available (we also offer take-out).
The Vintage Garden Tea Room is available for your next meeting, birthday party, baby or wedding shower.
Tea Leaf Readings with Sandee: Sandee is available for tea leaf readings every TUESDAY and FRIDAY from 11:00am to 2:15pm (Her last appointment). The price of your reading, which lasts roughly 5-7 minutes a person, is $12 which you pay Sandee directly. You pay the tea room for your tea and anything else you may have separately.”
Positive reviews from Yelp. It’s a bit pricey, but cute and fun. They seem to make a lot of their money from hosting parties.
Vintage Garden Tea Room twitter
A youtube video of Sandee reading reading leaves for a band called Young Rival.
There’s also a Facebook group created by people who have had readings by Sandee:
I’ve gone to Sandee the tea leaf reader and it scared the shit out of me…
Group Info: “There is a tea leaf reader named Sandee who is at the Vintage Garden Tea Room on Locke St. in Hamilton Ontario and she’s crazy…..there’s no vagueness or generalities. She’s the real deal.”
Some of the posts people have left are impressed, others are not. I think it’s because she’s so specific with her readings, and she’s doing readings for people who are otherwise completely new to the idea of “fortune telling” as real, and it’s like they’re trying to catch her in a mistake.
(photo credits: 1-3)
talldarkbishoujo:witchshops:eeriergusts:sparrowqueen:
I am not a huge fan of this store, they were really snotty/rude/condescending when I went there back in February, and the sales people followed me with incense, as if they were smudging in my wake. I was just like “really, wtf?”
HOWEVER, this new Tumblr, Witch Shops Around the World is a pretty awesome concept. You should definitely check it out & submit places. ♥ ♥ ♥
^ Half-agreed, I found the salespeople more disinterested than anything. It was much, much smaller than I expected. The Occult Shop in Toronto is better stocked, friendlier, and right up the street from where I am currently sitting.
Entirely agreed that Witch Shops Around the World deserves your attention and input. 3 2 1, GO!
Reblogging for added comments about Enchantments in NYC.
I used to work at Enchantments back in the late ’90s, at the original location a couple blocks away (E. 9th b/w 1st & 2nd). I worked the oil office, so chances are pretty good if you shopped there around that time, I probably carved a candle or made some oil/incense for you.
My memories are totally contrary to the commentary here. The old Enchantments was warm, inviting, and a hugely important part of the Pagan community in NYC, as one of the oldest shops in the city and in the US period (it was where the Minoan Sisterhood trad was founded). The training grove was amazingly good and gave me a solid foundation in Paganism that I still appreciate today. It’s where I met my Craft father and my best friends in the world. We had all kinds of colorful characters as regulars. It wasn’t pretentious or fluffy, it was an old school occult shop of the sort that just doesn’t exist anymore, in this age of New Age Wal-Marts and such. It was the kind of place you could go to not just shop but be a part of a community and learn.
Unfortunately, when Lady Miw and her partner transferred ownership, it went downhill fast. The new owner was a complete troglodyte that basically fired everyone who was worth anything, including a respected elder in the community, for getting on the wrong side of her ego. I had long since checked out, but it was sad to see it end up like that.
I’ve been to the “new” Enchantments, at the location pictured, and It is a sad, hollow shell of the old shop. They’ve stopped carrying books altogether just about, except for a tiny handful of Llewellyn Neo-Wicca titles you can get at the mall—not nearly the selection or the depth of material the old place had (we had books on just about everything under the sun, and Spanish language titles!), and space is no excuse imo. I didn’t have the same bad experiences with the employees there, but it wasn’t the same at all. It was very unfriendly and the energy was cold. There is one amazingly sweet guy who works there, whose name I can never remember, and I’ve chatted with him a few times. But unfortunately, I found that he’s the exception to the rule. If you are in NYC you are much better off going to Magickal Realms in the Bronx, despite it being more of a trek, since Lady Rhea (original co-owner of Enchantments) is still there doing her thing and being awesome.
Reblogging for further comments on Enchantments, and adding Macickal Realms in the Bronx to the list of places to post.
Hello new followers! Please feel free to either submit posts or send suggestions of places for me to post about.
