In a society that is predominantly Christian, it can be challenging to connect with others who are ‘spiritual but not religious’; those who drift away from conventional organized religion and prefer meditation, yoga, tarot cards, and various mystical experiences. Thankfully, as people evolve to become more progressive, communities and spiritual centers pop up where pagans, witches, agnostic, and non-Christians alike can unite.
Buffalo has been blessed with many metaphysical shops and cultural centers. Herbal Magick is by far my favorite spiritual shop to visit. Located at 402 West Avenue in Lockport, they have every necessity for beginning your spiritual journey. Not only do they have giant containers of obscure herbs for sale, they also have a cornucopia of crystals and even natural supplements and herbal remedies for certain ailments. The shopkeepers are quite knowledgeable about which herbal supplements are appropriate for certain conditions. They also have a beautiful array of crystal jewelry, books, candles, and other witchy trinkets.
Here is a list of some other spiritual stores that are worth the trip!
Spiritually Rooted – 90 Webster St
One of the most popular metaphysical stores in Tonawanda that carries so many different tools, including cauldrons, candles, tarot cards, sage bundles, crystals, books, and plenty of cats to keep you company while you shop!
Strange Brew – 2703 Elmwood Ave
The ultimate witchcraft store in Kenmore that where you can find various herbs, bones, books, and all other witchy essentials.
Pure Herbs – 3410 Main St
A lovely display of assorted herbs for spell-work, along with other precious gems.
Inspiration Point – 483 Elmwood Ave
Perfect store where you can find an assortment of books on all kinds of religions and branches of paganism and spirituality.
Awakenings – 3578 Walden Ave
New shop in Lancaster that opened in April 2018. It has all of your little witchy needs like incense, candles, jewelry, dreamcatchers, pendulums, crystals and they even host Reiki sessions in their comfy, adorned private rooms.
Terrapin Station – 1172 Hertel Ave
Everyone’s favorite hippy-dippy shop also carries sage, crystals, tarot cards, and other witchy apparel.
Love Light & Magick – 1205 Hertel Avenue
Offers tarot readings, psychic/mediumship and classes. Kurtlyn Cunningham, the ‘supreme’ of Love Light & Magick, is also accepting of hoodoo and other practices of African diaspora.
For those who are looking for a place to worship or connect with others of similar backgrounds, here is a list of some cultural centers where you can practice your faith and unite in peace:
Buffalo Islamic Cultural Center – 3296 Bailey Ave
Chua Tu Hieu Buddhist Cultural Center – 647 Fillmore Ave
A beautiful temple along a strip of various churches, including some beautifully aged cathedrals.
Dnipro Ukrainian Cultural Center
562 Genesee St
They have been known to host many inexpensive events, including festivals, fundraising dinners, and raves with different DJs on every floor and cheap drinks.
African American Cultural Center
350 Masten Ave
Masjid Baitul Aman (Buffalo Islamic Cultural Center)
637 Walden Ave
Unitarian Universalist Church of Buffalo
695 Elmwood Ave
Unitarian Universalist Church of Amherst
6320 Main St
Most people would be surprised to learn that Buffalo actually has covens. The Church of the Knotted Ash is one of the biggest pagan conglomerates in the area and began full operation in June 2009. It is features four covens; Coven of the White Wolf, Grey Lynx, Albino Bat, and Black Vulture. The Coven of the Grey Lynx is currently accepting new members and is based in Tonawanda. The Church of the Knotted Ash also offers Wicca 101 classes and various ritual services, including LGBT handfasting, funeral rituals, baby blessings, house cleansings, and saging rituals. This organization is spread across Western New York, servicing Buffalo, Niagara Falls, Albany and many surrounding areas. Also, if you happen upon the Gypsy Parlor on Grant Street on the right night, you might see Jeci Sky Walker working her magic and offering tarot readings, which you can follow on her Facebook at ‘Elements of the Mind’.
Lastly, there are a couple of online communities that are convenient when connecting with fellow pagans and mystics. The Witches’ Voice is a very user-friendly site that allows you to find local pagans and covens. They also have a ton of articles on all different kinds of paganism from every background. There’s also a new spiritual social media site that recently launched, called www.qooest.com, where you can also find fellow friends who relate to you on spiritualistic topics. Another local witchy community that is on Facebook is The Wyrd and Wise Aurochs Kindred, where they occasionally post about upcoming events and other updates. There are also a decent number of spiritual groups on the app Meetup, including The Buffalo Witches Group, WNY Reiki Circles, Live Music Meditation Group, along with some para-psychics such as Sebastian Black. And let’s not forget about Lily Dale – “The World’s Largest Center for the Religion of Spiritualism.”
Don’t forget to check out the WNY Pagan Yule Ball on January 5, 2019 or the 7th Annual WNY Pagan Pride on September 29, 2019 at the Polish Cadets of Buffalo on 927 Grant Street!