Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Ancient recipes inspire Edmonton businesswoman’sonline store, The Witchery
BY AMANDA ASH, EDMONTON JOURNAL JUNE 27, 2013
Katie Barry runs an online curio store called The Witchery.
Photograph by: John Lucas, Edmonton Journal
EDMONTON - Dragon’s Blood Ink and Bat’s Blood Bath Crystals may sound like spooky instrumentsreserved for Halloween shenanigans, but they’re more about smelling good and encouraging goodvibes than casting wicked spells.Katie Barry of Edmonton runs an online store called The Witchery,which sells a line of bath crystals, incences, perfume oils and inks. Each product is stored in beautifullittle bottles featuring funky handmade labels. They’re filled to the brim with various mixtures ofessential oils and infused herbs.
Although Barry says most of her wares are mostly purchased and used as novelty products, they followage-old recipes passed down through the ancient hoodoo practice. Hoodoo, Barry says, is a type ofspirituality founded on beliefs from a swath of religions. It uses various fragrant herb mixtures topromote everything from luck to love.
“It’s mostly African folklore, but it’s also a mixture of American Indian botanical knowledge andEuropean folklore,” Barry says. “As long as someone is appreciating it, whether it be for productlabelling or novelty or using it in ritual use, I’m fine with that. It’s neat to see that it’s still continuing onand not dying out.
Previous Next
“I can see how some people would be like, ‘Oh, it’s not for novelty use,’ but part of what drew me to thisstuff was the product labels. I really like these old recipes.”
Barry acquires some items from a wholesaler, Lucky Mojo, while those listed as Witchery Exclusivesare handmade in her kitchen. Open one of her pantry cupboards and you’ll find stores of nearly everyherb from A to Z.
The 30-year-old started out by making various oils and perfumes at the request of friends. Last month,she decided to take her business online and sell to select countries around world.
Some incenses, like the Gainful Employment Incense, can be burned prior to a sweat-inducing jobinterview. Other products, like the Dragon’s Blood Ink, can be used for good luck and protection.
She also makes Witch Bottle Custom Made Batteries — cute little bottles filled with herb concoctions —that promote everything from creativity to love. Barry says the most popular items, by far, are the onesthat draw money or luck.
If you’re not into the spiritual side of her products, that’s fine, too. You can still use her products as acrafty decoration or enjoy the essential oils as perfume.
“Everything here is basically dual purpose. Everything smells nice. I don’t make anything bad, and Ihaven’t had any requests for anything custom that’s bad.”
Different herbs boast different properties. If you were to purchase a love battery, for example, you canbe sure to receive a sweet mixture of lavender and roses. Catnip would be used for beauty, attractionand allure. And there would be magnetic sand on the top and bottom to draw in your intention.
Barry says her products aren’t “spooky and bad.” They’re fun. But if you are interested in giving yourlove life or career a boost, then there’s only one piece of advice you need to follow.
“If you are serious about it, you have to put your intention into it.”
Twitter.com/AmandaAsh
Read Amanda Ash and Marta Gold’s blog, The New Black, at edmontonjournal.com/blogs.
© Copyright (c) The Edmonton Journal
Katie Barry’s pantry at home is stocked with every kind of herb.
Photograph by: John Lucas, Edmonton Journal
