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Where To Go in Manhattan...

This section is an ongoing project that I felt there was a need for since I've recieved so many questions about where to find this or that in the New York area stores. Unfortuneately, several people have had very negative experiences that I wanted to prevent happening to anyone else if I could. If you see any listings that are out of date, want to have a store added to the review section or have any questions or comments, please contact me at lionmark@angelfire.com

Stores

Manhatten

Scentsational Shoppe 945 Amsterdam Ave (between 106th & 107th) (212) 531-2007
Review: Somehow managing to seem like both a warehouse and a hole in the wall, SS carries over 400 types of perfumed oils as well as those "can't do-it-yourself" essential oils and gels. They also have some beautiful bottles. censors and other accessories. They're not super cheap but for those into aromatherapy, they're reasonably well-priced and incredibly well stocked.
The Zodiac Lounge 204 W. 96th St. (between Broadway and Amsterdam) (212) 663-0100
Review: A tiny basement shop with handpainted signs, the Zodiac Lounge would be more than easy to miss. It's tiny, dusty and practically empty but carries a great deal of original, hand done art work and is the place to get magick done. Founded by a free-spirited man who hung with the original NY pagan wild-children in the 70s and hand-painted the place himself, Zodiac opens whenever he feels like it (usually around 6PM). Not the place to stock up but if you have questions and a bottle of wine, stop by. it's well worth it.
Jezibel hosts 8:00pm Thursday night rituals alternating with ceremony and dance nights that are wonderful and a great place to meet people. $5 for the space
Candle Therapy 213 W. 80th St. (between Broadway and Amsterdam) (212) 260-9188
Review: My personal favorite stop, Candle Therapy is another small lower level store on the outside but it's open and comfy on the inside. It was founded by the author of the book by the same name and specializes in personalized magick spell candles. They have herbs, gemstones, candles, jewelry you can actually afford and $.35 6-8 hour spell candles in all colors. Sharon, my sales-witch was informative, friendly and not at all pushy. If you need anything magickal, this is my personal reccomendation!
Gold Star Imports 1035 Ave of the Americas (between 38th and 39th) (212) 354-5029
Review: An exotic store run by Middle Easern men, Gold Star is the place for oils and incense of all kinds. There are shelves of essential oils, scented oils, blended oils etc. as well as various middle eastern religious accessories, wonderful real incense and more.
The patrons are quite friendly (especially if you're attractive and female) but don't look for magickal advice here, just good stuff in large quantity for good prices. (Bargaining allowed...)
One World Market 401 5th Ave (@36th St.) (212) 726-0942
Review: Yet another non-magickal shop that is a great place to get magickal stuff anyway, OWM is actually a kitch NYC souvenier shop. Plough through that stuff though and in the back you'll find a plethora of ethno-centric magickal treasures. African drums and masks, Native American smudges, dream catchers, charms and more, Indian statuary and brass work all fill the shelves along with books, jewelry, Chinese paper lanterns...Reseanably priced and open to bargaining, OWM is a great hidden gem of magickal goods.
Morgana's Chamber 242 W. 10th St. (212) 243-3415
Review: M.C.'s best features are the the adorable 3 or so black cats who appear to have the run of the place. M.C. is a tiny off-the-beaten-path store with very little inventory but they have a comfortable and friendly feel and the crowd tends to learn to the older and eccentric feminine. They offer Wiccan classes on Saturdays as well as sabbat celebrations and author signings among other events. The selection of rare books and tarot cards is wonderful although the prices on other things tend to be pretty high. There are also lots of personalized spell kits and bags etc done just by the store. Morgana, the shop's owner, is frequently on hand to assist you personally and the regular patrons swear by her! (Not to mention that in personal correspondence I found her to be extremely well informed and personable.)
Enchantments 341 E. 9th St. (between 1st and 2nd Ave)
Review: Enchantments in unquestionalbly the most well known witch store in New York. They stock cheap, well made candles in all colors, plenty of herbs at some of the best prices in the city and a thourough collection books as well as providing divination services at reasonable prices, women's and co-ed study groups (called the Grove)and sabbat celebrations. It's owner, Carol, has authored several books on practical witchery and has appeared on several television stations doing brief, educational spots. She's also won several awards for increasing public awareness and tolerance toward pagans and witches. Carol and the other store's co-founder Lady Rhea (who has since opened her own shop) were also part of NY's original witch scene. The store has an extremely devoted following of witches and to this day commands center stage in the NYC wiccan scene. The problem with this Wiccan haven? Half of our scouts reported being treated with extreme rudeness and a "holier than thou attitude" by the employees and being made to feel extremely uncomfortable. It's not like this every time by any means...but beware.
Other Worldly Waxes 131 E. 7th St (between A and 1st Ave.)
Review: The sister store to Candle Therapy, this store has a similar chill vibe and friendly staff who do a great deal of custom work. It's very small though, and doesn't have as diverse an inventory as the uptown store. The new NY, upbeat new age witch vibe as opposed to the more old-school feel of Zodiac Lounge or Enchantments.
Penny's Herb Company 97 1/2 E. 7th St. (between 1st and 2nd Ave.) (212) 614-0716
Review: Penny's is a self-titled "Herbal Apothecary" and it more than lives up to it's name. The staff is extremely helpful and well informed and takes time with each customer. When I purchased Cramp Bark I was immediately shown a recipe using it in a reccomended book and told to make sure that whoever was using didn't just have generic stomach problems, in which case I should use cleansing herbs first, like Basil. Unfortuneately, Penny's is anywhere from slightly to twice! as expensive as other stores that sell herbs but they carry everything and are reliable, clean and honest (although not Wiccan).
Stick, Stone and Bone 111 Christopher Street (212)807-7024
Review: For those of you desperate for crystals, this is the place for you. This "shamanic" oriented West Villiage store carries a wealth of both polished and raw gems and crystals at exremely reasonable prices. They also carry beautiful statues, dream catchers and various other "shamanic tools" as well as books and insence. The store itself is very warm and earthy and usually doing a brisk business. Definitely worth checking out.

The Bronx

Magickal Realms	131 Westchester Sq.	(718) 892-5350
Review:	After viewing what were interpreted as negative comments regarding this store it's owners have asked that I pull my full review. As tempted as I was to pull the store altogether (after some particularly hostile correspondence from one owner) I ultimately decided to leave this much in... Some of the emails I recieved from members of Lady Rhea's classes were downright hostile, asking if I "dared to called myself a pagan" etc. and some were extremely pleasent and simply presented a different opinion from mine which is fine. All the letters I recieved however, were is praise of this shop which, aside from selling assorted magickal items in a reasonably priced and informed environment, offers the essential service of classes and training groups for both teens and adults in a spirit of genuine learning and respect. For further information please contact the store personally at the above number.

New Jersey

Journey Metaphysical Boutique	Woodbridge Mall	(732) 636-8141
Review:	Their slogan "from Angels to Zen" pretty much coveres what this store is all about. A staff of salespeople and counselors are on hand to tell you about feng-shui, reiki, dragons, yoga and more. They also have the selection of books, jewelry and inscense that we have come to expect from our witch stores and all with that fun, friendly, mall atmosphere ;> .

I've also found a couple of great internet stores with honest information, functional shopping carts, solid inventory and reasonable prices. Try checking these out!

Mystic Spirit
Started by a fellow New York Witch, Jessica Murphy, Mystic is just around the corner whether you're on the web or in the city!
Crescent Moon Goddess
This site comes to us via our friend Tony who has several wonderful essays published on the site!

Book of Shadows
Stumbled on this site and was captivated by the incredible selection at great prices!

Back to Lionmark's Main Page

Scentsational Shoppe	945 Amsterdam Ave (between 106th & 107th)	(212) 531-2007
Review:	Somehow managing to seem like both a warehouse and a hole in the wall, SS carries over 400 types of perfumed oils as well as those "can't do-it-yourself" essential oils and gels. They also have some beautiful bottles. censors and other accessories. They're not super cheap but for those into aromatherapy, they're reasonably well-priced and incredibly well stocked.
The Zodiac Lounge	204 W. 96th St. (between Broadway and Amsterdam)	(212) 663-0100
Review:	A tiny basement shop with handpainted signs, the Zodiac Lounge would be more than easy to miss. It's tiny, dusty and practically empty but carries a great deal of original, hand done art work and is the place to get magick done. Founded by a free-spirited man who hung with the original NY pagan wild-children in the 70s and hand-painted the place himself, Zodiac opens whenever he feels like it (usually around 6PM). Not the place to stock up but if you have questions and a bottle of wine, stop by. it's well worth it. Jezibel hosts 8:00pm Thursday night rituals alternating with ceremony and dance nights that are wonderful and a great place to meet people. $5 for the space
Candle Therapy	213 W. 80th St. (between Broadway and Amsterdam)	(212) 260-9188
Review:	My personal favorite stop, Candle Therapy is another small lower level store on the outside but it's open and comfy on the inside. It was founded by the author of the book by the same name and specializes in personalized magick spell candles. They have herbs, gemstones, candles, jewelry you can actually afford and $.35 6-8 hour spell candles in all colors. Sharon, my sales-witch was informative, friendly and not at all pushy. If you need anything magickal, this is my personal reccomendation!
Gold Star Imports	1035 Ave of the Americas (between 38th and 39th)	(212) 354-5029
Review:	An exotic store run by Middle Easern men, Gold Star is the place for oils and incense of all kinds. There are shelves of essential oils, scented oils, blended oils etc. as well as various middle eastern religious accessories, wonderful real incense and more. The patrons are quite friendly (especially if you're attractive and female) but don't look for magickal advice here, just good stuff in large quantity for good prices. (Bargaining allowed...)
One World Market	401 5th Ave (@36th St.)	(212) 726-0942
Review:	Yet another non-magickal shop that is a great place to get magickal stuff anyway, OWM is actually a kitch NYC souvenier shop. Plough through that stuff though and in the back you'll find a plethora of ethno-centric magickal treasures. African drums and masks, Native American smudges, dream catchers, charms and more, Indian statuary and brass work all fill the shelves along with books, jewelry, Chinese paper lanterns...Reseanably priced and open to bargaining, OWM is a great hidden gem of magickal goods.
Morgana's Chamber	242 W. 10th St.	(212) 243-3415
Review:	M.C.'s best features are the the adorable 3 or so black cats who appear to have the run of the place. M.C. is a tiny off-the-beaten-path store with very little inventory but they have a comfortable and friendly feel and the crowd tends to learn to the older and eccentric feminine. They offer Wiccan classes on Saturdays as well as sabbat celebrations and author signings among other events. The selection of rare books and tarot cards is wonderful although the prices on other things tend to be pretty high. There are also lots of personalized spell kits and bags etc done just by the store. Morgana, the shop's owner, is frequently on hand to assist you personally and the regular patrons swear by her! (Not to mention that in personal correspondence I found her to be extremely well informed and personable.)
Enchantments	341 E. 9th St. (between 1st and 2nd Ave)
Review:	Enchantments in unquestionalbly the most well known witch store in New York. They stock cheap, well made candles in all colors, plenty of herbs at some of the best prices in the city and a thourough collection books as well as providing divination services at reasonable prices, women's and co-ed study groups (called the Grove)and sabbat celebrations. It's owner, Carol, has authored several books on practical witchery and has appeared on several television stations doing brief, educational spots. She's also won several awards for increasing public awareness and tolerance toward pagans and witches. Carol and the other store's co-founder Lady Rhea (who has since opened her own shop) were also part of NY's original witch scene. The store has an extremely devoted following of witches and to this day commands center stage in the NYC wiccan scene. The problem with this Wiccan haven? Half of our scouts reported being treated with extreme rudeness and a "holier than thou attitude" by the employees and being made to feel extremely uncomfortable. It's not like this every time by any means...but beware.
Other Worldly Waxes	131 E. 7th St (between A and 1st Ave.)
Review:	The sister store to Candle Therapy, this store has a similar chill vibe and friendly staff who do a great deal of custom work. It's very small though, and doesn't have as diverse an inventory as the uptown store. The new NY, upbeat new age witch vibe as opposed to the more old-school feel of Zodiac Lounge or Enchantments.
Penny's Herb Company	97 1/2 E. 7th St. (between 1st and 2nd Ave.)	(212) 614-0716
Review:	Penny's is a self-titled "Herbal Apothecary" and it more than lives up to it's name. The staff is extremely helpful and well informed and takes time with each customer. When I purchased Cramp Bark I was immediately shown a recipe using it in a reccomended book and told to make sure that whoever was using didn't just have generic stomach problems, in which case I should use cleansing herbs first, like Basil. Unfortuneately, Penny's is anywhere from slightly to twice! as expensive as other stores that sell herbs but they carry everything and are reliable, clean and honest (although not Wiccan).
Stick, Stone and Bone	111 Christopher Street	(212)807-7024
Review:	For those of you desperate for crystals, this is the place for you. This "shamanic" oriented West Villiage store carries a wealth of both polished and raw gems and crystals at exremely reasonable prices. They also carry beautiful statues, dream catchers and various other "shamanic tools" as well as books and insence. The store itself is very warm and earthy and usually doing a brisk business. Definitely worth checking out.