Wandering Into Witchcraft
This Halloween Eve, I recall first stumbling upon Enchantments , New York City’s oldest and most venerable witchcraft shop, in the late '80s while aimlessly wandering in Alphabet City. With a mix of trepidation and ironic detachment, I crossed the threshold into a realm filled with well-stocked shelves of herbal ingredients for potions, exotic incense, ready-made and custom-carved candles, colorful tarot cards, esoteric books of spells, and a staff of wary yet well-meaning witches. There was even a small altar. The façade of Enchantments Enchantments was stern about witchery in those days and had yet to fully embrace its status as a tourist trap. They catered only to serious and aspiring students of their craft, casting aspersions on casual curiosity seekers like me who came to gawk. The herbs they sold looked nothing like the ones at the grocery store. These creepy-looking things with archaic-sounding names like Eyebright, Knot Grass, and Lady's Mantle were stored in customiz...
