Pre-Made and Shrink-Wrapped

[Jezehbelle]

I was visiting a friend of mine this past weekend, and she told me that, in the town we were in, there was a "pagan" shop that I should see.
We got turned around a couple of time on the way there after we found out that it had moved a few blocks away.

I went into it, expecting to see something else entirely.

It was relatively small and stark, which I didn't mind too terribly much, seeing as they'd just moved three weeks ago (according to the store clerk).
On one side of it was a huge assortment of candles -- basic colors, a couple shape candles, etc -- and a small selection of colored and manufactured incence.
On the other side, there were books, oils and cardboard tubes of potions and salts and such.

My friend sort of liked the store, but it felt icky to me, and after we left, we got into sort of a debate about it (it actually turned into more of a "me ranting" thing than a debate... sweatdrop ).

The candles bothered me.
"Light a Black Candle for revenge"
"Light a Green Candle for Money"
Red for love, white for purity, blahblahblah, etc.
Like anything on earth has just one meaning...

The cardboard tubes of potions bothered me.
"Scatter over/on/in for -blank-"
I looked and looked, but there was no explaination to the why this potion would work, or even what was in it.
Some came in kits, boxed kits, and I asked if I could look inside of it, and received a "No."
"Why not?"
"Because then it's tampered and damaged."
"Then what's in it?"
"I dunno, I just work here."
They make the stuff there. neutral

The books bothered me because they were cased and shrink wrapped and put well beyond arms reach. You couldn't even look at a book's back cover without buying it. There was no browsing -- you had to know the name of it in order to get one.

For it being the first store of that kind that I've been in, it's a bit of an understatement to say that I was disappointed.


What's your opinion of pre-made, shrink-wrapped spells?

I was trying to remember the name of the shop, so I turned to Google to help me find the name. I found it, and it turns out it's owned by a 60-something year old Southern Baptist.
Wth?
How does he sleep at night..? D:

Shouldn't you know what's in things before you buy it, like, your shampoo?

Have you ever been to a store that sold witchy/pagan things as their main product? How was it?

Is it weird that I want to open a shop of a similar catagory now, but not so manufactured and a little more real? sweatdrop Not saying I would, but I can think of a ton of ways to vastly improve upon that store... xp

(and I'm sorry if there's another topic like this, but I didn't see it. D: )  

[Rioto_Kish]

eek Gosh, that's very strange...the guy who owns the store is a Southern Baptist? That's actually, kinda borderline scary. I've been in a pagan shop before-only a small one, but the shop owners knew what they were selling, answered all the questions I asked, and all the books were on display, so you could flick through the contents before you decided to buy the book. I think that this was just bad luck on your part to go into this store first. I haven't seen many good pagan stores where I live, but I suggest keep looking for one that's what you're expecting, and when you do, stick with it. Good luck!  

[Starlock]

What's your opinion of pre-made, shrink-wrapped spells?

Haven't used one, haven't come across one, so it wouldn't neccesarily be fair of me to judge. Generally I'm of the sentiment that you should always write your own spells (get inspiration from wherever, but in the end, personalize it and make it yours somehow). I probably wouldn't ever use something like this.

Shouldn't you know what's in things before you buy it, like, your shampoo?

YES. There are people out there who will try to scam you. If you don't know what the ingredients are or the dealer looks shady, don't buy from them. Unless it is from a buisiness owner who already has a good reputation, be careful.

Have you ever been to a store that sold witchy/pagan things as their main product? How was it?

There are a couple metaphysical shops back in my hometown; I haven't been to any since I moved to the Chicago area. The store back home is a good one for a community its size. Everything is neatly out on display and the owners are always willing to order something in for you from their suppliers (plus the local Neopagans make stuff to sell in the store too!)

Is it weird that I want to open a shop of a similar catagory now, but not so manufactured and a little more real?

Not at all. Lots of people have done that, but you have to know how to run a small buisiness. It isn't easy. Especially when you're marketing products that do not have a large demand.  

[The Bookwyrm]

To each their own, and shops are very much like books: You find a lot of crap before you find the gold.

There's a shopprobably about 90 minutes driving from my parents's house, and it was the first Pagan shop I was ever to; it's owned and run by Pagans, they do sell spell kits, candles etc., and books and all the rest. But, the shop is easily browsed, the books are accessable, and the staff are helpful; they can tell you what is in the kit, how it works and why. I used used one, and had great success with it; it contained a candle, herbs, small vial of oil, a charm, a blue ribbon, a stone, and the spell itself all to aid in studying.

My aunt also owns what was once a witchy store that has now turned more New Age Health and Wellness; her store, too, was easily browsed and you were encouraged to handle the merchandise (gently) before you took it home. She also made sure we knew what we were selling because people do have questions.

As for me, I have nothing against pre-packaged spells; they work in a pinch, and they're often a bit more convenient than having to go out and buy each componant on your own; usually, you'd end up paying more in the long run. It can also give you a good solid foundation if the store is reputable and you're just new to spell working.

I think your biggest problem is that the whole set up of the store turned you off to begin with; I know it would have bothered me. And the fact that the staff are clueless speaks wonders for the interest of the owner in what they're doing. Baptist or Pagan, he sounds like an idiot. stare  

[DR490N]

im sort of against that. the only places i've found that sell pagan themed books has been chapters and "coles book stores", and even at that most of what you'll find is entirely bullshit, or wicca...and im not into wiccan religion, though some of the magick works fine for me. i've been looking for some stuff on druidism/druidry(whichever name you prefer), necromancy, etc. i basically want to gain an eclectic base. now, for spells and potions, its ******** stupid if it doesnt tell you why it works or what's in it or anything like that. burning_eyes you could end up with entirely different results than you think, and you dont even know if it really works.  

[Ezinu]

ah well a baptist thats a bit of a suprise.
What's your opinion of pre-made, shrink-wrapped spells?
I dont buy them i have seen the candle magic ones and actualy one i found was very interesting it was a goddess candle made with menstral blood how can you even sell something like that? o,o I think that the ingreadents should definatley be listed if they have all the ingreadients you are looking for and its cheeper to buy that then it seperately i dont see why you would pass it up just because its boxed. Some times they are good for beginers but i wouldnt recomend and beginer trying to do a love spell i know from experiance.
Shouldn't you know what's in things before you buy it, like, your shampoo?
yes you should they should have had a list and because they didnt would probably be a main reason not to buy it but sometimes its not the ingreadiants but the beliefe in the product people that would buy them like that dont need to know whats in them and probably dont care they want a quick fix.
Have you ever been to a store that sold witchy/pagan things as their main product? How was it? Yes i have been to many occult shops non where i live though i know where one is and would like to get a job there im sure i would meet alot of interesting people the one you went to sounds like its not out to give people insite into religion but make a buck i wouldnt suport it and would recomend advising your friend not to purchase anything from there unless she absolutely couldnt find it anywhere else. The only reason i buy from occult shops instead of like on line or bars and nobles is to suport my local pagan groups.
Is it weird that I want to open a shop of a similar catagory now, but not so manufactured and a little more real? its not a bad idea and not suprising you see something that is not right and you want to make it correct by opening a good shop and showing people how a real one should be run.  

[iolitefire]

Jezehbelle

The candles bothered me.
"Light a Black Candle for revenge"
"Light a Green Candle for Money"
Red for love, white for purity, blahblahblah, etc.
Like anything on earth has just one meaning...

Hmmm....Honestly, maybe you should cut that shop some slack? They did move recently and so what you saw there probably wasn't what they are normally like.

And with the candles? Get used to it, Pagan shops (and info) has a habit of assigning one meaning to stuff. Herbs, candles, stones, etc. Of course you should keep an open mind about everything but be aware that your going to see stuff being assigned a certain meaning all the time. What that shop did was not unusual.

I'm not sure how legit the info you got about the owner could be. I mean, Google's not always about 100% correct about stuff. I'd say ask the people who work there about the owner.

As for the pre-packaged spells, thats one of the reasons I turned away from witchcraft as a whole. Its way too commerical for my tastes. My method of doing magic doesn't require that kind of stuff. It can be done without anything. Other stuff is just for ambience in the end. But ya, spells in a box annoy me. I mean, I once saw one that would have the practioner chant Kali's name. The dumb thing was that the spell was for something romance related. WTF? Why are you calling the Hindu goddess of chaos for a love spell? Jezus in a hot dog bun! Goes to show, people who write those can be real dumbies.  

[Starlock]

Kali isn't precisely chaos Goddess... that's one of her roles (the most well-known to the West) but she's also been equated to Ultimate Reality, a destroyer of negativity and ignorance, and maintains the order of the world as much as she's been attributed to destroying it. She's basically a divine mother figure. Our mothers both nurture us and provide order to our lives but at the same time can be ruthless in that rearing. There's a benign Kali and a destructive Kali, so if one did a spell evoking the benign aspects, you could use her as a figure to bring love or some other kind of prosperity. Hinduism in general tends to transcend our common ideas of dualism, so this makes pegging their gods a bit confusing to many Westerners. Heck, most of their Gods are *both* male and female.  

[Feryal Riska]

I've always been against stuff that's premade and shrinkwrapped and things like that.

I wouldn't shop at that store, but it's not saying that it's totally a bad place. I mean, it's probably a place where teens start out. (I'm a teen, but I started when my parents introduced me to it a while ago. Dx Not claiming to be an expert, though! Far from it.)
I don't really DO spells. They don't feel right to me. And when I do do them, they come strait from me and are kind of spur of the moment.  

[Anima Lux]

**pokes head in**

That's *really* weird, man. I would most certainly not buy anything from that store. I mean, really, it's a horrible marketing strategy: don't show the customer the product. And then expect them to buy whatever crap you offer. Uh, no thanks.

Anyway, there's this awsome little new-age-y store near where I live (about twenty minutes down the road, I think), which is just too awsome. My boyfriend, myself, and our roomate all spent a whole day in there one time. XD

It's really nice and always smells really pretty from the incense and such they sell/ burn. They have a huge selection of books (well, big for a store that doesn't cater mainly to book-buyers, anyway; and they're not all 'magical' books, either!) and a really good selection of candles, holders, incense, and other such things. They even have braided sweetgrass and some sage smudge sticks (which, from the looks of them, are locally made). And jewlery.. and stones.. and and and.. XD You get the point.

The only thing that's a bit off-putting, is that the people who work there are kind of aloof and don't talk to customers much. From what I can tell, anyway. They're nice, tho.. just not talkative.

Anyway, I would give the link to their page.. but it seems that it only contains where they are and their store number. I was really hoping for an online catalog.. but oh well. XP

So, yeah, tho.. if the store gives you a bad vibe, definitly don't go there. I'm sure there are other, more friendly non-creepy places you could visit.


**runs off to write her Comp. essay**  

[iolitefire]

Starlock

Kali isn't precisely chaos Goddess... that's one of her roles (the most well-known to the West) but she's also been equated to Ultimate Reality, a destroyer of negativity and ignorance, and maintains the order of the world as much as she's been attributed to destroying it. She's basically a divine mother figure. Our mothers both nurture us and provide order to our lives but at the same time can be ruthless in that rearing. There's a benign Kali and a destructive Kali, so if one did a spell evoking the benign aspects, you could use her as a figure to bring love or some other kind of prosperity. Hinduism in general tends to transcend our common ideas of dualism, so this makes pegging their gods a bit confusing to many Westerners. Heck, most of their Gods are *both* male and female.

My apologies, I really should have tried not to box her in like that. I still think that unless one has a huge amount of knowledge in Hinduism, like yourself, you shouldn't be calling Kali for a love spell. I mean, there's tons of deities that work a little better. My point was that box spells can get people doing things that probably aren't the best things to be doing magic wise. It's like baking a cake when you don't know the difference between baking soda, sugar, or flour. It can lead to problems in the long run.  

[Jezehbelle]

I really, really thought I'd responded already. gonk I'm sorry you guys.

And I asked the friend about the stores layout and she said it was generally like that, with the books out of reach and shrinkwrapped. Basically, if they'd had less boxes, it'd be pretty dead on...

And, the article was originally from the Macon Telegraph, the newspaper in Macon, Georgia. sweatdrop He has two stores, one in Macon and one in Griffin, which is the one that I went to.  

[Starlock]

iolitefire

Starlock

Kali isn't precisely chaos Goddess... that's one of her roles (the most well-known to the West) but she's also been equated to Ultimate Reality, a destroyer of negativity and ignorance, and maintains the order of the world as much as she's been attributed to destroying it. She's basically a divine mother figure. Our mothers both nurture us and provide order to our lives but at the same time can be ruthless in that rearing. There's a benign Kali and a destructive Kali, so if one did a spell evoking the benign aspects, you could use her as a figure to bring love or some other kind of prosperity. Hinduism in general tends to transcend our common ideas of dualism, so this makes pegging their gods a bit confusing to many Westerners. Heck, most of their Gods are *both* male and female.

My apologies, I really should have tried not to box her in like that. I still think that unless one has a huge amount of knowledge in Hinduism, like yourself, you shouldn't be calling Kali for a love spell. I mean, there's tons of deities that work a little better. My point was that box spells can get people doing things that probably aren't the best things to be doing magic wise. It's like baking a cake when you don't know the difference between baking soda, sugar, or flour. It can lead to problems in the long run.

Oh, that's fine. I've just been studying up on Hinduism (among other religions) a bit recently and decided to share some of the fruits of my searches. whee I'd agree that knowing what you're working with is important to the practice. Whether a love spell is using Kali or Venus, if you're not familiar with the role of that deity, should you be working with them? If you aren't, the ritual will be empty of meaning and could possibly offend the deity in question... sweatdrop  

[DR490N]

I visited a shop today called "the mystic book shop"...and was highly disappointed. there were a few things of interest there, such as a book on basic magick which i had considered getting, having little experience with magic myself, but decided against it.

i went in with my christian mother and my girlfriend, which was rather amusing. the woman who owns the store had decidedly 'witchy' hair, which i found quite amusing, but the books and everything there was very much...wiccan....i dont like wicca and i think that people are foolish to use it as a 'safe' route, and would just once like to find a book store carrying something devoted to necromancy or energy work that doesnt have to do with healing or whatever, or something on druidism, but seem to find nothing. just "love spells" "paganism for idiots", some crap by silver ravenwolf, and other books that didnt look at all appealing, as well as a collection of crystal balls and various items with pentacles on them. not even any magickal ingredients save for some incense. quite disappointing. the woman made some mention while talkign to my mother about crystals to "the crow in me likes this"(referring to herself), so perhaps she's a therian. her cat was odd too. she had a bad back and bit my hand quite hard, and hit my girlfriend a couple times. my guess is its because the cat is territorial and doesn't like other cats in the store(the girlfriend is a cat therian).

i ended up buying myself a blank book with a dragon on the cover to utilize as a book of shadows, seeing as i'm startign to get a bit paranoid of my mother finding the few spells i've written down and lecturing me for an hour or so on what a horrible person i am for thinking anything other than christianity could ever possibly be correct.

so, i bought the book and left, and dont think i'll be going back there.  

[Anima Lux]

DR490N

the woman made some mention while talkign to my mother about crystals to "the crow in me likes this"(referring to herself), so perhaps she's a therian.

Actually, that's probably more just a turn of phrase. I say that sometimes, too. It refers to the fact that crows are scavangers and like shiny things. (:

Sometimes it's best not to read too much into things, methinks.