I was looking for a leather bound journal with handmade paper. I figured since Amazon has a ton of em, my local occult shop must be swimming in them because journals are a thing right? Wrong. They had three, very “teenage witch” looking, super cheap and mass produced novelty items. Ok scratch the journal. I just wanted something plain.
How about some tools then? Plain altar cloth? Surely that’s a no brainer right? Apparently not.
Neverminded the overwhelming disgusting smell of cheap incense ‘sticks’ combined with god knows what garbage to make them burn.
Display cases full of crystals,singing bowls, fancy tarot decks and a small bookshelf with a paltry selection of watered down witchcraft books, but mostly just wicca. Yay.
I saw some ridiculously priced ornate daggers that are probably more decorative than anything. A plaster skull. Lol. Nobody buys that shit. I betcha it’s there because “it looks cool”.
So please excuse me, but a shop without quality ingredients, real incense resins, a selection of real tools, robes, decent books, plain black candles etc, IS NOT AN OCCULT SHOP.
It’s a stinky ass cheap incense shop for pot smokers, pet owners and people with bad hygiene, not for spellwork.
It’s new age pop culture.
I walked out heartbroken and pissed off.
So Amazon, the nearby wooded areas and graveyards will need to suffice.
oh I’m not saying. It’s just a symptom of the times. Seems like watered down occult shops are the norm I guess. Like shopping for a shotgun and the “gun shop” only has foam bats, not even foam dart guns!
I wouldn’t be too sure of that. I was in my local Wiccan/occult shop yesterday and watched a woman drop $217 on stones, a couple of “healing” bracelets, and some other bric- a- brac.
Last time i went to a local occultic shop they had a huge coffee table sized crystal they were selling for over $2k and a bronze dragon head for $5k
They didnt even have incense, not even a single book. It was mainly these tarot decks based on video games and tv shows and cheap stones. They did have leather bound notebooks, quills and even fountain pens, but it was mainly just cheap “occultic” nicnacs and cheap rocks found outside.
The little town I moved away from had a pretty solid occult shop…mostly white magic/rhp stuff but you could usually find ingredients, plain colored candles, crystals, etc. Moving to a bigger city, I assumed the occult shops here would be better…man was I wrong. Every time I hear of a new one, I end up leaving disappointed because their selection is lacking, they have almost no books or candles or really anything…a lot of decorative shit for people who like the “witchy” aesthetic…which is fine but at least mix it in with stuff that’s actually useful. I never thought I’d be needing to drive an hour just to get some damn sage.
As anyone thought of going to an Indian grocery store? The one a minute from me as an okay selection of incense, whole herbs and burners. And the local flea market too and you never know what else you can find.
I knew it was a lost cause at the last place I visited because I talked to the owner for about fifteen minutes and she goes “It sounds like you really know what you’re doing!” and I’ve been actually practicing for only six months. Someone who owns an occult shop and does full on weekly classes for money should NOT be telling someone with six months of experience that they know what they’re doing and seeming impressed. You’re supposed to know more than I do, bro, and that’s not hard to do.
