> The first thing I noticed when I walked through the door was
> a pungent mix of herbal smells that would instantly clear
> any clogged sinuses. It seemed to be an old room, with
> green painted cinderblocks covered with posters and old
> advertisements. White posterboard with herbal suggestions
> and recommendations to "cure what ails ye". Oils and candle
> color combinations with desired results .Daily Hymns and when
> they should be read. Astrological information, positions of stars
> and planets and moons, and how they can be interpreted. And of
> course the 'disclaimer' that all sales are for "medicinal"
> (wink-wink) use only and that no results can be guaranteed.
> Followed with "we believe... don't you?"
>
> There were a number of women behind the glass counter. One
> wore a rather stylish hat, I would swear looks like right out
> of some New Orleans cinema noir. She was an older woman whom the
> other ladies called 'grandmother' and I could tell she knew her stuff.
> I was a little intimidated though she regarded me kindly...but I was
> 'just lookin'. And look i did. All sorts of small packets claiming to
> contain cat's eyes... lizard hearts... graveyard dust... lodestones...
> various herbs, and amulets. The glass cabinets along the walls
> had bottles with different liquids and oils of all colors,
> dozens of varieties of candles, assorted books and stacks of
> pamphlets. Over in the front corner of the store were great wooden
> barrells filled with powders and powdered incense.
>
> Also by the barrells sat this great big snaggle toothed
> man with a pony tail and a western style tie... he was
> conversing with two female patrons and you could see the
> weathered worldly experience written all over him. I overhead
> him saying something about Louis Farrakhan and civil rights and
> the local Howard University. The friend i brought along with me
> went to join the conversation while I still looked around. This was
> quite a find to a novice like myself. Just like out of a movie.
>
> I asked one of the ladies about some advice for jobs and prosperity
> works and Grandmother belted some suggestions over her shoulder. She
> was already busy with another customer but she had the answers
> alright! And the prices were good i thought...candles for 25 cents on
> up to five and ten dollars...vials of oils that could be mixed and
> labeled for a few bucks...Amulets for 15 dollars..and the advice was
> free.
>
> I'll definately go back there, and if any of you are ever in the
> Washington, DC metro area..i'd definately recommend a visit.
>
> (sorry it took so long Cat.) KingN0thing
Thanks very much! I am forwarding this to alt.religion,.orisha, as
Eoghan had asked there for people to post descriptions of any old-time
hoodoo drug stores still in operation. As i had mentioned earlier, i
have a catalogue from Clover Horn dating back to 1951, and i'm sure the
store is older than that. There is a second Clover Horn stoe in
Baltimore, and although both stores were once owned by the same man,
they have been under separate ownership since his death, or so i have
been told.
I am very glad to hear that the Washington Clover Horn store is still
much as it always was and still doing well. This is exactly the kind of
spiritual supply store i did my learning in -- and i hope that you go
back and absorb some of the knowledge and experience floating through
that "pungent" air. I also second your recommendation that anyone in the
DC area interested in such products and supplies should check out Clover
Horn.
cat yronwode
Hoodoo in Theory and Practice -- http://www.luckymojo.com/hoodoo.html
No personal e-mail, please; just catch me in usenet; i read it daily.
Lucky Mojo Curio Co. http://www.luckymojo.com/luckymojocatalogue.html
Send e-mail with your street address to cata...@luckymojo.com
and receive our free 32 page catalogue of hoodoo supplies and amulets
Copyright (c) 2000 catherine yronwode. All rights reserved.
The most notable here in Philadelphia were the Hy-John's Indian Curio
Store, Lady Dale's, and Harry's Occult. Of the three, only Harry's is
still operating. It has gone mostly new age, although it does maintain
some of the old things. It is nothing like I remember as a youth.
Hy-John's was ok, but nowhere near as colorful as Harry's and Lady Dale's
I always thought was downright boring. they were a;; within a four block
range of each other, just around the corner from me.
Eoghan
--
+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o+o
E. C. Ballard
Debajo del Laurel yo tengo mi confianza