When I first moved to NYC, there were two magic stores within a few blocks of my house. And I don't mean magic like putting a rabbit in a hat and suddenly it vanishes. I'm talkin' about the serious mojo. Handblended incense of personally crafted spells. Fragrant oils with shells and herbs floating in them. Books of Shadows sold alongside Books of the Dead. Carven statues of dragons and gods.

And black candles.

Because witches often use candles of different colors depending on the nature of the spell, stores that catered to witches (I was one at the time) sold an array of different candles. Some already impregnanted with fragrance, other plain allowing the knowing witch to customize it.

For my party that looks like it might not be, I wanted black candles. I was still living in that bygone era in which stores sold black tapers. But with only a few days left (OK sure I only have 6 people coming and the odds are they could care less if I burn turqoise candles as long as they don't smell), I had to order black candles from Soma Luna an online version of the stores I was used to visiting. Incidentally, there was a store like this in my small little town of Storrs CT so why NYC seems to have run dry of the Ye Olde Satanic Goodes Shoppe I can't say, but man is it annoying.

If any of you in the NYC area know of any store like this for the future, please PLEASE let me know.

(It's all the fault of that movie the Craft isn't it?)