Blake and Wycke Malliway, owners of a witchcraft shop in Rogers Park, refuse to let COVID cancel Halloween. “We’ve had to give up a lot right now because of the pandemic; a lot of people feel powerless. Turning to witchcraft can help them realize some aspect of themselves that they want or that they’re yearning for,” Blake says. Lately, visitors to the Malliway Bros. shop are seeking love, money, protection—and alternatives for celebrating this spooky season safely.
Malliway Bros. Spells, Charms, & Potions1626 W. Morsemalliwaybros.com info@malliwaybros.com
If joining a Witches’ Conclave workshop in the middle of the woods is beyond your comfort zone, start by browsing the Malliway Bros. store, which opened in August 2019 after the brothers grew tired of lugging their wares to pagan pride events throughout the midwest. The store, limited to ten patrons at a time due to COVID-19 restrictions, features books on traditional witchcraft, folklore, spells and magic, rituals, and more. There’s also a table of talismanic charms (preassembled spells), including the popular Rowan Cross (a protective amulet) made from two sticks of Rowan wood gathered from a tree next to an old holy well outside Widecombe, a village in the UK.
“A Dumb Supper is the practice of leaving an empty place at the table. Set silverware and a plate of food and just leave that for the spirits. Start with the dessert and end with the appetizer,” Wycke says, noting that when you do things backward you invert the everyday routine, facilitating a separation from reality. “Eat very quietly and do not say a word. This is a way to have a meal with any spirit that wants to come. It could be a loved one, you could set a place specifically for them.”
