Hi y’all, and welcome to another edition of the Grove and Grotto semi-annual update. Every Spring and Fall, we give you an insider's peek at what’s going at the sweetest little magick shop in Texas. We're coasting off yummy intense energy from yesterday's Solar eclipse, and just can't wait till Mabon to share some store news.
Our Spring update was one of our most-viewed social media posts of all time. I feel super honored that so many people are following our progress online. And humbled that there are other small Pagan-owned business looking at us (and up to us). June 2017 marked our third anniversary. I am incredibly grateful to you, our amazing customers, for letting me do what I do.
Okay! Before I morph into my weepy water fairy form, here’s what’s new at Grove and Grotto:
Vintage altar tools
This may be the most exciting development: The launch of our new Vintage Altar Tools collection!
I simply love old magickal stuff—cauldron and candlesticks, bells and blades and chalices. I'm captivated by their energy and all their little flaws. I enjoy walking up to a friend’s altar and seeing an object and having no frickin’ idea where it came from. (A rare enough occurrence, when you spend all day looking at suppliers' catalogs.)
So, we’re keeping our eyes peeled for nifty vintage altar tools to bring to you. Lots of items have been put up already, with new ones being listed all the time. All are cleaned of wax and grime, photographed in natural light, and gently blessed before being sent on their way.
This section is small now, but it will grow as more pre-owned treasures find their way onto our shelves. Check out our related Pinterest board, too!
Re-imagined herb section
You’ve told us that herbal magick is important to you. In your emails and messages, you let us know that keeping your favorite herbs in stock should be a priority. So we’re investing in an herb section that is safer, fresher, and better in every way.
We’re now doing business with vendors who specialize in herbs for culinary and medicinal use. We couldn’t be happier with the quality! Some cost a bit more than the major metaphysical supplier’s herbs (ahem), but it’s well worth it. They are all super-fresh, practically dustless, and guaranteed irradiation-free. Most are also certified kosher, and many are USDA organic.
Guess what? The packaging has been redesigned, too. Out with the plastic baggies! In with heat-sealed pouches that are resistant to moisture and light. Redesigned labels are color-coded to match the planetary attribution of each herb.
Rare magickal herbs? You asked, we searched. We’re now stocking hard-to-find herbs like Dittany of Crete and whole American Mandrake root.
Festival schedule
The online store is only one facet of the work at Grove and Grotto. Several times a year, we appear at fairs and festivals around Texas. Late Summer and Fall is Pagan Pride season. We’re traveling to Houston and Austin for Pagan Pride festivities soon! (You can view our complete show schedule here.)
New account system
It’s a small change, but you can now create an account on GroveandGrotto.com. (With or without placing an order.) Making an account lets you save items, view past orders, and track packages more easily. More than half of our customers are taking advantage of this handy new feature. We hope it helps you track your past (and future) purchases.
Mighty new items
Last Beltane, some very large Vikings told us very politely that they would like to see more Norse items in the shop. We’ve heard at many festivals that it’s easy to find Wiccan-related jewelry in magick shops, but symbols of other spiritual paths are harder to come by.
We’re always on the lookout for Valknuts and other exclusively Norse designs. We’re also scouting out Thelemic, Egyptian, and Qabalistic amulets for the diverse magickal community.
New rune sets and a whole bunch of new pendants are now in stock for my Norse and Heathen pals! To make our rune sets more customer-friendly, we created a trifold brochure, The Runes: A Pocket Guide to the Elder Futhark. A glossy print copy now comes with every set of runes we sell.
Other new product lines: Beeswax candles by Lailokens Awen, HEM cone incense, expanded collections of Sun’s Eye oils and athames.
Other changes
We dumped our payment processor (Stripe), due to restrictions against some items in our shop. Credit card payments are now processed by PayPal Pro. You can check out using your PayPal balance or a regular credit or debit card. However you choose to pay, PayPal has industry-leading security features to keep your info safe.
We’ll always replace damaged items, but we’d rather your order not get damaged in the first place. We’ve tweaked our shipping and packing methods to make sure every item reaches you in perfect condition.
Community support
In 2017, Grove and Grotto sponsored DFW Pagan Unity Fest and The Wild Hunt Pagan news blog. We’re active in the local Dallas spiritual community, including some up-and-coming new events. We’re continuing to publish free, accessible articles on magickal topics ever week. According to Google, the Grove and Grotto shop blog now gets over 30,000 unique visitors per month. (Here's a list of our best posts.)
Occasionally, someone will let me know that if I really wanted to contribute the Pagan community, I’d open a brick-and-mortar store. With all due respect to my friends with storefronts, that’s a load of B.S. Having open doors is only one way to serve people. For right now, my place is at the shipping table, in the stockroom, and in front of the keyboard.
Grove and Grotto is, for now, a one-woman show. I’m more active than in the community than I could ever be if I also had to keep regular store hours. Keeping the store online helps me attend more events locally, reach more people globally, and keep prices low for Pagans on a budget.
Thank you once again for checking in with us, and have a beautiful, magickal Fall! We'll see you on the road. As always, if you have any questions, you can drop us a line at groveandgrotto@gmail.com.
Heartfelt blessings to all,
Michelle Gruben (shop fairy)
See past updates, or check out the archive.
Photo of Michelle by Doyen Rainey.