Magic Shop Near Me on East 9th Street: Flower Power Herbs and Roots

Some people searching for a magic shop near me want a wand; others want mugwort, a cauldron and someone who knows what to do with both. Flower Power Herbs and Roots, at 406 East 9th Street between First Avenue and Avenue A, is the East Village answer for the second group. It is an herbal apothecary with a witch's streak, founded in 1993 by Lata Chettri-Kennedy, and in October its calendar turns toward Samhain, the old Celtic new year.

Two subway lines put you within a short walk. From the 1 Av station on the L train, walk south on First Avenue to 9th Street and turn east; the shop is partway down the block toward Avenue A. From Astor Place on the 6, head east along St. Marks Place, then drop one block south at First Avenue. Either route takes around ten minutes and passes some of the East Village's busiest small restaurants.

The difference here is the herbs. Most witchcraft shops treat herbs as a side shelf; at Flower Power they are the main event, kept in large jars and weighed out to order. Herbs go home packed in paper rather than plastic, a small detail that says a lot about the shop's green-witch outlook. The magical supplies grow out of that plant knowledge, so the people behind the counter can talk about both a tea blend and a protection charm.

The Magick section is where the October shopping happens. A cast-iron cauldron costs $32, sized for burning loose incense or simmering a small herbal blend on an altar. A Mini Altar Broom, the decorative besom used to sweep sacred space, is $20. Spell Vials, made for carrying an intention with you, sell for $15.60, and Protection or Banishing Incense is $7.60, the least expensive way to begin.

Oils and candles round out an altar. Beyond the Veil Magical Oil, blended for the season when the boundary between the living and the dead is said to thin, costs $21. The Samhain candle starts at $15.60, and staff can suggest which herbs to pair with it. If you are building a first altar this month, the cauldron, a Samhain candle and one bundle of incense together make a compact, affordable starter kit.

Readings go deeper and cost more. Lata Kennedy offers astrological readings herself, listed at $350, a full session built around your birth chart rather than a quick card pull. It is a sit-down session for people who want a serious look at their chart. The shop's bios describe Lata as a Wise Woman and Green Witch, and her staff, nicknamed the Flowerettes, carry that same mix of herbal training and spiritual practice to the counter.

Workshops come with firm rules. Flower Power asks for 24 hours' notice to cancel, and under its Closed Door Policy the doors shut ten minutes after a class begins, so latecomers are turned away rather than interrupting the group. Arrive early for the Samhain Circle in particular; with Halloween the next evening, it is the kind of gathering that fills up and starts on time. Wear comfortable clothes and expect to sit for a while.

For everyday shopping, the store is open daily from noon to 7pm. Weekday afternoons are relaxed and give you time to ask questions about a blend. Weekends draw more browsers, especially in the run-up to Halloween, when the East Village fills with costumed foot traffic. If you are placing a pickup order, phone the shop first so the herbs are weighed and waiting, instead of standing at the counter while a long order is measured out.

The space is compact and practical. Jars of dried flowers, roots and leaves dominate the room, and magical tools such as cauldrons, brooms, candles and vials share shelf space with teas and herbal remedies. There is no theatrical darkness here; the mood is closer to a neighborhood healer's workroom, bright enough to read every label and calm enough to linger over a question about which plant suits which purpose.

The shop's story starts a few blocks away. Lata Chettri-Kennedy's bio says she founded Flower Power in 1993 and shows the original shop on First Street, before the move to East 9th Street. The store manager's bio on the Green Witches page gives 1994 as the opening year, a small discrepancy in the shop's own telling. Either way, Flower Power has been dispensing herbs in the East Village for more than three decades.

Pair the visit with the neighborhood's other occult landmark. Enchantments, the candle-carving shop that opened in 1982, is at 165 Avenue B, about a ten-minute walk east past Tompkins Square Park, which makes for a natural two-stop witch-shop crawl. When you need food, the Ukrainian diner Veselka at 144 Second Avenue serves pierogi and borscht just west of First Avenue, a short walk back toward the subway.

All sales are final, with no refunds or exchanges, so ask about an herb's uses before buying a large quantity. Bring a tote for paper-wrapped packets, and allow extra walking time, since 9th Street sits between subway lines rather than on top of one.

Flower Power suits green witches restocking herbs, curious beginners who want to start with plants rather than spells, and anyone who wants to mark Samhain with an actual circle instead of a costume party. It is not a magic-trick shop and does not try to be one. Come for the jars, stay for a conversation about mugwort or rosemary, and leave with a small bundle wrapped in paper that smells of the season.