Let's be clear: I love occult shops. There was a time when I, like many other practitioners, was penniless and couldn't afford anything in them. And there was a time when I lived so deep in nowhere-land that, even if I could afford it, none were available to me (and yes, that means I lived *gasp* pre-internet for most of my life).
Now that I am a few years older, wiser, better traveled, and more prosperous, I take every opportunity I can to slow down and walk every inch of the occult shops I find. They're always overflowing with inspiration and you're certain to come out ready to cast your fingers off!
But what if you're stuck in my former state? What if rarity and poverty removes such opportunities? Then it's time to take a trip to the mundane farmer's market instead and look at it with a magical eye!
Bewitching the Farmer's Market
Farmer's markets are an interesting space: part supermarket, part craft show, part bake sale--they are certain to have the unique stamp of the part of the country in which they're found. However, there are some items that just seem to be standards in the field (and those are the ones we're concerned with here) but as you walk through, keep that creative mind working on ways to incorporate into your work the vast number of wares you find at your market. You may be surprised!
Fresh Eggs
Eggs are a classic for cleansings of home, self, and spirit. They're also oddly effective at cursing, and fresh laid eggs are required for this purpose almost exclusively, most likely so that the egg doesn't retain any connections to your own home.
See more about the magic of eggs here.
Honey
Nearly any farmer's market will have a stall with local honey for sale. It's both prudent and thrifty to get it here rather than the more expensive, questionable varieties from grocery stores. For a caster, this is a real boon. Not only are Honey Jars a versatile, effective, simple spell, but honey is an additive in a great many other spells and formulae.
- Cover yourself in honey and then take a lavender bath to draw men to you.
- Mix warm honey and Damiana leaves and take a spoonful when you want to rev up your sexual appetite.
- Add it to any type of spell to make its effects stick and last longer.
- Turn a jar into Cunningham's Love Honey (See "Incense, Oils and Brews" by Scott Cunningham) to keep the peace in your home and for adding comfort and harmony to tea and treats you share.
- Offer a dish of honey to the Gods or any spirits you wish to honor
Live Herbs
In my area, springtime is announced with roadside stands at Amish farms, each one filled with racks of cheery green herb and flower seedlings. If you don't have access to long, rural Pennsylvania roads like I do, then the farmer's market is the perfect, compact alternative. Look for herb garden standards that are versatile in magic, like basil, rosemary, mints, and lavender.
I've also had success finding organic hand-picked dried herbs, too, so keep your eyes open for new additions to your collection.
Poppet Roots
Witchcraft makes good use of humble objects, and carving roots into human form is a prime example. Potatoes and onions--onions most often substituting for the target's heart--are ideal for this purpose, and similar roots (especially if they carry some feeling familiar to the target of your spell) work equally well. Give turnips, rutabagas, and yams a go!
Homemade Beauty Products
Here's also a good place to find herbal, organic, handmade items like bath salts, oils, creams, perfumes, and scrubs. With a little focus, you can bewitch that berry red lip gloss to help you speak boldly. Boost that body scrub with some herbs and essential oils to cleanse both your skin and your spirit.
It's handy to have someone else do the heavy lifting when it comes to carefully prepared products that you may not have the equipment or time to make yourself. But the magic? That you can definitely do!
Your own local market will have its own blend of stalls that may look totally different from what I've seen. Each area offers to its patrons what grows best and what sells best, so watch for what makes your own hometown unique. Here are some interesting additions you can come across:
- Hand woven baskets
- Potted plants
- Handcarved spoons
- Wooden boxes and trunks
- Homespun wool and batting for cord magic
- Vintage jewelry, especially the 60's-70's variety for their generous use of gemstones
- Some markets even have a stall or two with genuine witchcraft items, mostly blessings, cleansing formulae, and tokens for good luck. What a find that would be!
As a bonus, remember that markets aren't just about the things but the people behind them. The surest way to be accepted in your community (yes, even as a living-out-loud witch) is to listen to and interact with those who have a hand in creating the very structure of that community. Buy and sell, barter and trade, seek services and offer them. You can end up the official witch of your town--sans pitchforks--and it can all start here.
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