Manhattan's
Magick Shops
First a point of
clarification: we're not talking about a
guy in a tuxedo pulling a rabbit from a
hat or making his sequined assistant
disappear. We're talking magick, not
magic. Wicca. Witchcraft. The Craft.
Covens and sabbats and rituals and
spells. But nobody riding on a broom, or
cooking up eye of newt and toe of frog in
a bubbling caldron, a la the Weird
Sisters in Macbeth.
Nor are magick shops the
same thing as new age shops. So if your
tastes tend strictly toward overpriced
crystal jewelry and dream catchers to
coordinate with any bedroom decor, you
may not be happy in magick territory
(which is not to say you won't come
across such items in some magick stores,
but they will be a sideline, not the main
focus of the merchandise).
That said, if you're not
schooled in the Craft, but bring an open
mind and an attitude of respect when you
enter the realm of Manhattan's magick
shops, you're likely to find witches
willing to share their experiences and
knowledge for your enlightenment.
Lady in the Moon
2 locations: 111 and 94 St.
Mark's Place
Manhattan
(212) 473-8486
Lady in the Moon -- dubbed
"Ye Olde Religion School &
Supply Store" -- has a gritty,
serious energy about it. It's not that
neophytes aren't welcome. But don't
expect any signs about the merchandise
being intended for recreational purposes.
Lady in the Moon has two
locations in close proximity. You could
easily wander off the street into the
shop at 111 St. Mark's Place, invited by
its colorful window display. It carries a
full array of Craft-oriented goods,
though choices are limited by the shop's
small size. Spell candles, occult books,
tarot card, incense, oils, and quite a
lot of jewelry are on hand. Also on
display are capes, cloaks, and dresses
"for the best dressed witches,
gothics and vampires." The store
supplies witches and others worldwide
with these hand-made garments.
The proprietress of Lady in
the Moon is Rev. Lady Armida, who has
written several books and teaches classes
on witchcraft, tarot, and candle magick.
Rev. Lady Armida gave me a personal
escort to her other shop at 94 St. Mark's
Place. This shop you wouldn't necessarily
spot from the street. It's in the
basement, and somehow suitably dark (also
logically so, as it lacks any windows and
the walls are painted black). The space
is larger and houses more wares,
especially more capes, cloaks, and
candles. They also do body piercing for
$15.
Rev. Lady Armida, HPS (High
Priestess) told me much about the history
of the Craft, about modern-day prejudices
against witches, about pentagrams and
covens and initiation rites. Spells are
guaranteed here, with certain caveats.
For one thing, Rev. Lady Armida won't do
a spell without first divining from the
Goddess whether her involvement with the
request is appropriate. For another, be
aware of the karmic law of balance: you
will get what you want, but if you harm
anyone in the process, the energy sent
out will return to you several-fold.
If you're a skeptic,
consider this true tale. I was given a
gift at Lady in the Moon -- an alchemical
candle to attract money. Rev. Lady Armida
carved a symbol in the wax, I carved my
name. High Priest Sir Gallahad affixed
other symbols in glitter, then blessed
the candle. At home that night I burned
it awhile, sans fanfare or rhyming
incantations. The next day, I got a phone
call from a business associate I hadn't
heard from in over three years, virtually
handing me a lucrative assignment. Mere
coincidence? You be the judge.
I wouldn't recommend going
to Lady in the Moon on a lark. I
especially wouldn't recommend going if
you're leery of the East Village in
general, with its high per capita ratio
of tattoos, motorcycle jackets, and blue
hair. Go with specific witch-related
supply needs. Or go on a sincere voyage
of discovery. (And you might want to pick
up one of those alchemical candles while
you're there...)
Candle
Therapy
213 West 80th Street
Manhattan
Here's a magick shop of a
different ilk altogether. It's pretty.
It's clean. It's on the expensive side.
It's on the Upper West Side.
Candle Therapy (formerly
Prophecy) is a pleasant place to browse
-- your average, nicely merchandised gift
store that just happens to specialize in
"magickal materials." Several
of the new age store staples are here,
including those dream catchers and
crystal jewelry. Then, too, there are
those candles that won't be found at your
neighborhood Hallmark. Along with the
requisite witchcraft books, tarot cards,
incense, and oils are certain
harder-to-find items like parchment
squares adorned with symbols and
inscriptions -- used, for example, to
seek swift spiritual assistance or to
ward off unkind spells others may cast on
you.
Hands-down, the store's most
beautiful wares are the statues of
deities and figures from different
religious traditions, including Christian
religions. The store's owner, in fact,
identified herself as a Christian witch.
(In Wicca circles, this is not a
contradiction in terms.)
A wine-and-cheese party was
in progress when I arrived on a recent
Sunday evening. Since it's a small shop,
maneuvering around wasn't easy with a
soiree going on. But the atmosphere was
festive and the party-goers chic. The
store manages to be unusual yet
mainstream at the same time. If you're
looking for magickal encounters of the
yuppie-esqe kind, hie thee over to check
out this store. The owner is helpful,
talkative, and open to questions from the
uninitiated. The statues alone are worth
the trip.
Before you go, however,
here's a final true tale to give you a
sense of what you may be in for.
Apparently the four purple candles I
wanted to purchase signified, by color
and quantity, that I have some bad juju
surrounding me. The owner thus proceeded
to arm me with other weapons and instruct
me in various rituals to amplify the
banishing energy. She also gave me a
batch of powdery egg-white mixture,
instructing me to spread some on the
corners of each window in my home. (I
couldn't bring myself to admit to her
that I simply like purple and there were
only four candles that color on the
shelf. On the other hand, maybe there IS
cosmic purpose in my being attracted to
that particular color and in only that
particular number being available...)
Magick Web Sites
The following are
several magick-related Web sites that may
interest you if you want to learn more:
And as Wicca followers say
in parting, Blessed Be.
by Karen Petty
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