Spellbound in Hay-on-Wye

When I was young it wasn’t very easy to get hold of any magical supplies. Even incense was often difficult to source, and unless you made your own candles you were pretty much stuck with plain white household ones or nightlights. Nowadays however, as long as you have an internet connection, you can find just about anything you could ever want for your magical work.

 

But although the internet can supply, there’s still nothing quite like going into a shop, especially one that it centuries old and has that certain ‘atmosphere’, a shop where you can sniff the incense, browse through a wide range of books, and really immerse yourself in the whole experience. 

 

Well, I’m pleased to say that a new shop has recently opened up, in Hay on Wye, just on the English/Welsh border (there’s a stretch of Offa’s Dyke nearby that you can access on foot).  It’s well worth a visit.

 

The new shop is called Spellbound, and is run by the author Adele Nozedar, who has written the extremely popular Element Encyclopedia of Secret Signs and Symbols: The Ultimate A-Z Guide from Alchemy to the Zodiac and also Secret Language of Birds: A Treasury of Myths, Folklore and Inspirational True Stories. In other words, you will be dealing with someone who really does know what she's talking about!

 

Although Hay is best known as the ‘Town of Books’ and hosts a huge literary Festival in early to mid summer, it has no designated shop selling pagan/occult books, although some of the shops do have sections that cater for this.

Spellbound is situated in a lane called the Backfold, in the shadow of the old castle and just opposite the main car park. Even if you can’t drop in personally, you can always phone since Adele does offer mail order. The number is 01497 820170 – don’t be surprised if this connects you to the Nepal Bazaar (a treasure trove of a shop situated just above Spellbound) since the two shops are interlinked.

 

For such a tiny shop (and the atmosphere is just amazing!) the range of stock is incredible, all at extremely competitive prices, and Adele also offers her own blends of hand mixed incense suitable for all occasions. These are, quite frankly, the best I’ve ever used and over the years, believe me I’ve tried just about everything! 

 

You can also buy crystal balls, cauldrons, dowsing boards, wiccan/pagan symbolic jewellery, first class wands, pendulums, athames, native American and shamanic artifacts, candles, smudge sticks and feathers, ghost beads, zare mora amulets, spells and charms. 

 

Adele also takes bookings for Tarot and Rune Readings, so if you know you are likely to be in the area then just give her a call and book in advance! You can also see her talks on You Tube (search ‘adele nozedar’) which are fascinating. 

 

Shops like this are few and far between, and this is one of the best – I commend it to you!