Articles — 2017

Hi folks! Just wanted to give you a quick update on what’s been happening around the shop. As usual, we’ve been hard at work on new products and partnerships. As we approach our third anniversary, we’re as driven as ever to make Grove and Grotto a unique destination for Pagan shopping on the web. New Products Several new product lines have been added to the shop since our last update. We’re proud to carry jewelry and altar supplies from a variety of craftspeople here in the United States. Some favorites? New zodiac pendants by Nirvana, Christopher Penczak’s spell coins from...

Myrrh is the sticky, dry resin of a certain forlorn desert tree, Commiphora myrrha. Myrrh is extracted by piercing the bark of the tree and returning later to collect the nuggets of dried sap. True to Myrrh’s reputation as a funerary herb, these pieces are sometimes called “tears.” Ancient Egyptians used Myrrh, along with linen and natron, to embalm the dead. The resin both perfumes and preserves the body of the deceased. The Ebers papyrus (a document written around 1500 BCE contains over 800 medicinal formulas, many of which are based on a mixture of honey and myrrh. The antimicrobial...

Pewter is a popular material for ritual items, including amulets, chalices, and wands. You’ve probably seen it cast in various designs, from pentacles to dragons. It is a silver-colored metal with a pleasing weight and old-fashioned look. But choosing magickal items encompasses more than just look and feel. As magick workers, we’re aware that every type of matter has its own energetic properties. Learning more about the properties of each material can help you choose the right tool for the job. Metals and gems especially have been connected through folklore with special powers and properties. Most magicians will be familiar...

Magick workers talk a lot about something called intention. As in, “focus on your intention,” or “write your intention on a slip of paper.” Most of us would agree that formulating the right intention is one of the major—if not the major—prerequisites for successful spellcasting. After you’ve settled on the direction of the working, the next step is usually forming your intention into something less nebulous: A sentence, a sigil, an image or object. But what is intention? Is it the same thing as will (or Will)? Is it deeply felt desire? Is it visualization? Is it as simple as...

Virtually unchanged for decades, Anna Riva oils are a staple of magickal shops. They are used especially in the branches of art lumped under the term “folk magick”: Conjure, Hoodoo, rootwork, and Santeria. Typically, they're used to "dress" candles, talismans, and mojo bags for a particular magickal purpose. Some people also apply them directly to the body. Are you interested in learning more about this ever-popular, ever-controversial product line? Who is Anna Riva? Anna Riva was the pen name of Dorothy Spencer (1922-2003), an American occult author. Her numerous pamphlets and books covered topics as diverse as herbalism, talismans, candle...