Wares for believers -- of paganism

PLYMOUTH -- It is the season for the unusual. Not just the jolly jack-o'-lanterns and candy sales that mark Halloween, but a more complex brand of pagan spirituality that is, to those who believe in it, a serious pursuit.

And where there is a pagan community, there is a market for its wares.

Plymouth has four stores that cater to those of alternative spirituality. Gene Chambers describes his store, Incantations, as a ''New Age Metaphysical Store," catering to his fellow followers of paganism in all its varied forms. It opened in October of 2003 in north Plymouth's Cordage Park complex of old mill buildings.

Featuring similar offerings are Alchemy and Ishtar's Avalon, both of which have opened in the downtown area within the last year or so. And the Laughing Moon has long been a mainstay of Plymouth's downtown.

''People are seeking less formal spirituality without the tenets and without the dogmas of organized religion," said Chambers, who follows a ''nature-based" belief system. ''The uniqueness of being a pagan is the ability to incorporate other ideologies in your belief system," Chambers said.

Incantations' merchandise runs the gamut, from items as common as herbs, tea and incense to more unusual selections like flowing velvet capes for use in rituals, silver pentacles and other pagan jewelry, tarot decks for divination, and spell kits that promise to make one healthy, wealthy, or lucky in love.

''I just provide the tools, not the methodology for how they practice," Chambers said. ''Our customers are pretty diversified. They are people who follow Shamanism, Druidism, Celtic beliefs, and witches. And under the umbrella of witches are Wiccan. There are divisions just like there are in Protestantism and Catholicism."

The 47 year-old Ohio native says he does not subscribe to a specific path of paganism but is drawn most to Shamanism, a nature-based belief system common among indigenous races before they were influenced by modern technology. Chambers was a teenager when he was introduced to Shamanism by his best friend's father, a Native American.

Chambers' beliefs were later influenced by his exposure to Buddhism during his 21-year Navy career. ''My beliefs are a blend of Buddhist philosophy and thought and my beliefs in nature," he said.

Ritual plays a major role in pagan practices just as it does in organized religion, Chambers said, and Incantations sells the incense, candles, and accoutrements that accompany them.

''I practice magick the same way that one might go to Catholic Mass," Chambers said, adding that magick, as he uses the word, is spelled with a ''k," as it is by those who practice an ancient craft rather than the modern sleight-of-hand brand of David Copperfield magic.

''We go through certain steps of meditation, prayers and offering to accomplish something or for growth within our lives," Chambers said. ''It's a ritual, meaning doing the same thing consistently."

According to Chambers, the end of this month marks the beginning of the ''Wheel of the Year" for many pagans, with the celebration tomorrow of Samhain (pronounced Sow-win), more commonly known as Halloween. The holiday, in ancient times, marked the end of the harvest season, when animals were slaughtered to provide meat for the long winter.

Wiccans, or modern day witches who follow one of the most popular forms of paganism today, believe the veil separating the material world and spirit world is at its thinnest on Samhain, making it the easiest day for the living to converse with the dead.

''Samhain is a time of reverent reflection," Chambers said. ''Because Samhain is a high holiday among the Wiccan community, I acknowledge it and look forward to it, but it's not one of the most significant days for me." He plans to attend a celebration with his wife, Christine, who is Wiccan, at the home of a Wiccan high priestess.

Chambers allows use of his store for classes on a wide variety of pagan arts. Some recent offerings include instruction on Tarot and seashell divination, fairies, angels, reiki and Wicca 101. Chambers said he may not subscribe to a particular belief system, but provides those who do ''with a place to teach other than in their homes."

The heart of Incantations is its book section, which Chambers just recently doubled in size. ''I've wanted to open a bookstore since I was 10 years old," Chambers said. His offerings include everything from meditation and yoga to astrology, numerology, palmistry and all the various forms of pagan belief.

Incantations is Chambers' first venture into the retail world. More than just a job, he said, for him it's a ''way of life."

Christine Wallgren can be reached at CLWallgren@aol.com.