Witchcraft, also known as sorcery or magic, has been a topic of fascination and fear throughout history. Eau Claire, Wisconsin, is not exempt from this phenomenon. While witchcraft may seem like a fantasy or a relic of the past, it continues to be practiced and studied in modern times. Witchcraft is often associated with the manipulation of supernatural forces and the casting of spells or charms. It is commonly depicted in popular culture as women with pointed hats and broomsticks, but its roots go much deeper. Historically, witchcraft was often misunderstood and conflated with other forms of folk healing or herbal medicine.
Hosting events since 2019, Voss has been working to re-create a larger celebration space for all things witchy. This final summer “mini” market will feature a handful of local vendors showing off their handmade trinkets — yes, everything featured will be handmade with extra loving care — on Saturday, Sept. 17, from noon-4pm. Look out for jewelry, tarot, crystals, and more.
The problem of magic, witchcraft, sorcery and the occult became somewhat more complex with the beginning of the era of the Christian conversions in about the 4th century, according to Sharpe. However, originally, superstitions and accusations were regarded as bizarre and irrational, socially divisive and dysfunctional and received little serious attention, according to the Phillip Stevens Jr.
Historically, witchcraft was often misunderstood and conflated with other forms of folk healing or herbal medicine. This led to widespread persecution and the famous witch trials in the 17th century. In Eau Claire, Wisconsin, witchcraft takes on a unique flavor.
Local shop offers products for witches and healers
The Broom and Crow, a pagan and new age shop located downtown, offers products for any seasoned witch or aspiring crystal healer that you can’t find anywhere else in Eau Claire.
The Broom and Crow, a pagan and new-age shop located downtown, offers products for any seasoned witch or aspiring crystal healer that you can’t find anywhere else in Eau Claire.
Tabatha Voss, the shop’s owner, said she has been pagan since she was seventeen and opened the shop about a year ago after realizing she and others with similar beliefs had nowhere in town to go to for supplies or resources.
“I carry a lot of items for people who practice a nature-based spirituality,” Voss said. “That also encompasses people who are really into crystal healing or yoga or read tarot cards. The events or classes I have here I try to tailor to this community who is really into the Earth or earth energies.”
In addition to the items on her sales floor, Voss said she also offers classes ranging from tarot readings to astrology in order to better reach the community.
She said she has a team of ten other teachers, and they work together to plan various classes around holidays or phases of the moon.
She calls this her “spiritual care team” and said she likes to think of her store as a healing place as well as a “witchy shop.”
However, this doesn’t mean it’s all broomsticks and green masks. In fact, it’s quite different.
“By witchy stuff, I mean people who have done moon rituals or just honoring the moon as something to tap into magically,” Voss said. “People who read tarot cards or are into mediumship, aligning their chakras … those things are gateways to the metaphysical.”
Voss said she understands this vocabulary can be overwhelming.
She describes paganism as an umbrella term for a nature-based spiritual path, similar to how Christianity is an umbrella term for Catholicism, Lutheranism, etc.
“Pagans have Wiccan and Heathen and Egyptian paths,” Voss said. “Fairy paths, stuff like that. Pagans, what connects us is our spiritual connection to nature. Most people feel spiritually connected in a field or in a forest so those are our churches.”
That being said, Voss said she encourages anyone at any stage of their spiritual journey to come to her for questions.
She said she is always happy to answer questions, or to point customers to beginner books or put together beginning kits for things like crystal healing and spells.
One point she said she likes to drive home for beginners is that no question is too weird. She describes herself as a “safe space and judgement-free zone.”
“It always ends up being not nearly as strange or complicated as they think it is,” Voss said.
Furthermore, many items in her shop have labels to help beginners. For example, she has a poster on the wall to help customers pick out crystals.
Additionally, herbs used in spellwork each come labeled with potential purposes that can range from love spells to money spells, or banishing spells for trauma and negative energy.
Voss said her visitors are split about 50/50 between seasoned pros buying supplies and high school or college students on a “seeker path.”
The primary way she said she connects to the community, both seekers and experts, is through the variety of classes offered through The Broom and Crow.
One vein of classes is herbalism, taught by Kerri Kiernan, master herbalist.
Kiernan said she teaches people how to use herbs to better both their physical and mental well-being.
Her classes are held throughout the fall, into late winter and early spring, and range from herbalism for mood support, to salve-making or gift-crafting.
“People come to me with questions like, how can I keep my mood up in the winter?” Kiernan said. “How can I get my anxiety down so I can sleep better?”
Though her official job as an herbalist often involves creating custom resources for clients, she doesn’t always have time to take on as much as she would like. She said that’s what these classes are good for.
“My goal is to make people confident enough to use herbs themselves,” said Kiernan, “and know that I’m a local resource they can come to.”
Kiernan said her classes are fun as well as skill-building. Similarly to Voss, Kiernan said that people can know “literally nothing” and get something out of it.
She said one of her favorite parts of teaching classes is showing people what resources for healing exist that they may not be familiar with.
Kiernan said she wishes she had found some of her herbal remedies in college, as some can be great for stress management.
For example, she said she was recently working with a college first-year who was experiencing anxiety.
“Instead of just treating symptoms,” Kiernan said, “in herbalism and holistic well-being we’re trying to identify underlying causes.”
Both Kiernan and Voss said that community engagement is a highlight of what they do at The Broom and Crow.
“I want to draw in people who have been interested in things like (paganism) and connect people,” Voss said. “I feel like there’s a lot of things people don’t understand about paganism or wicca and I want to demystify that.”
Voss said even she didn’t have the vocabulary necessary to understand her own spirituality until adulthood, after wandering into a witchy shop in Phillips, Wis. when she was 17.
It was at this shop she purchased Scott Cunningham’s “ Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner” and realized her “destiny.”
However, she said she had always felt connected to nature in a way she didn’t fully understand.
“I grew up in the country, so I spent a lot of time in the woods,” Voss said, “and I lived next to a creek. That was all so magical for me.”
She said as a child she would “mix concoctions and say incantations and commune with forest spirits,” and that this felt like home to her.
However, she later moved to a city and disconnected with this side of herself, until she picked up Cunningham’s book and began educating herself.
“It felt like something I had always done,” Voss said. “So, I was always drawn to it.”
She said even though she graduated from UW-Eau Claire with a degree in English, after connecting with other pagans in the area she realized opening The Broom and Crow was what she was meant to do.
The Broom and Crow is located at 106 E Grand Ave in Eau Claire.
Voss’ class schedule can be found here.
Lopez can be reached at [email protected].
However, she said she had always felt connected to nature in a way she didn’t fully understand.
The local community embraces a diverse range of spiritual practices, including modern witchcraft and paganism. There are individuals and groups who identify as witches and practice various forms of magic or witchcraft in the area. These practitioners often emphasize the use of natural materials and energies, such as herbs, crystals, and moon phases, in their rituals and spells. They may gather in covens or participate in larger pagan or Wiccan gatherings to celebrate the changing seasons and the cycles of nature. While witchcraft is often misunderstood and stigmatized, it is important to note that many practitioners view it as a positive and empowering spiritual path. They seek to cultivate personal growth, connection with nature, and the manifestation of their intentions through their magical practices. However, it is crucial to distinguish between witchcraft and harmful practices such as curses or black magic. Most modern witches adhere to ethical guidelines and believe in the principle of "harm none." They focus on personal development, healing, and creating positive change in their lives and communities. In conclusion, witchcraft is very much alive in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. It is a diverse and dynamic spiritual practice that continues to evolve and resonate with individuals seeking a deeper connection with themselves and the world around them. By embracing the principles of witchcraft, many practitioners in Eau Claire find solace, empowerment, and a sense of belonging in their spiritual journeys..
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