While Pagan-owned shops often act as meeting places and central hubs for the local Pagan community, many of them depend heavily on the curious non-Pagan shopper to pay the rent and keep their lights on. Author and blogger Cintra Wilson does a nice write-up of how New York’s Enchantments (the oldest Witchcraft store in the city) caters to those just looking for a little magic now and then.

“Nancy and I were shopping for luck for our literary projects. “If you’re a writer, Mercury is your patron god,” Ricky said. “He’s all about speed, speech and commerce. New York is his city. There’s a big statue of Mercury at Grand Central station.” Our candles were selected by color, then spoonfuls of powdered incense were burned in the glass candleholders while Kathy and Ricky took out their daggers and carved “magickal seals” into our candles from a guidebook of drawings kept in plastic sleeves in a three-ring binder. Once the candles were carved, they put on latex gloves and rubbed custom oils and glitter into our candles.”

An employee at Enchantments also explains that despite the recent economic downturn, they haven’t seen any sharp decreases in business.

“A financial crash, Kathy agreed, is a good time to be in the occult business: ‘We’re always asked to do love stuff, but lately, it has been way more about jobs — people looking for work and protection of their monies.’”

These Witch/occult shops essentially fulfill the same function that botanicas do for Latino communities. They provide a way to exercise some control over forces in your life that can sometimes seem uncontrollable, and provide consolation and empowerment when you feel you have nowhere else to turn.

“I went. First I got a tarot reading from this absolutely stunning witch, with big blue eyes, tons of black hair, a thick Bronx accent and a huge pentagram necklace. I was weeping, and she was so comforting! So maternal! … This witch gave me an object to project power on, but what the experience really gave me was the ability to see how much power I had on my own. I didn’t need the guy. I got an idea of how to confront my own pain and darkness, and transform it into something positive.”

Let’s hope that all our little Pagan shops find themselves as resistant to our ongoing economic turmoil, and continue to service the needs of their communities, Pagan and non-Pagan alike.

Tags: Cintra Wilson, Enchantments, Magic, Metaphysical Shops, New York, New York Times, Paganism, Witchcraft