I have had the good fortune of never living in a town that didn't have a pagan bookstore. Well, that's not entirely true; I lived in Montevallo, Alabama for almost a year, and they didn't even have a Pizza Hut. But Birmingham was nearby, and there on Five Points South was Lodestar Books. (Out of curiousity, I called them up. They're still there.) To the immediate right of the door of Lodestar-- and in fact every pagan shop I've ever been in-- was The Corkboard.

The Corkboard, for those of you who've never looked, was the World Wide Web before the Internet, and remains the primary method of networking for those pagans who don't have the means to get online. I think it's safe to say that the Corkboard has played a crucial part in the development of our community.

Next time you're at your local witchnook, take a look at the Corkboard. Take a moment to see all the wonderful things that are listed there-- art gatherings, pagan-friendly or pagan-run businesses,readings, covens, circles, and more. Breathe it in, because you're looking at a piece of history.

Now go buy something.

That's right. Cough up the cash. Your Witchnook is not a library (with a few notable exceptions), and the fact of the matter is that it costs money to run such a place. Quit grumbling about the commericalism, because witches gotta feed their families, too, and whether they're making a profit or not, they're still doing something very important for the community. They're giving us a place to buy our bells, books, candles, and witch-kitsch without dealing with odd stares from the Waldenbooks clerk (not to mention having a better selection than a chain store). A lot of these stores provide coordination and even meeting places for local groups. In short, they deserve your money, because the Charge of the Goddess is a prayer, not a line of credit.

Now I often hear complaints that these shops misrepresent us when they carry all the fantasy and role-playing game stuff, the comic books, and the elaborate bongs. I agree that this isn't exactly putting the best face forward, but again, these are businesses and those items keep the power turned on. Two of my best friends used to run a witchnook in Tampa. They refused to sell out and carry these things. They went out of business.

I make it a point to buy supplies specifically from the local witchnook. Occasionally, I'll come across an book or an item that they don't carry. If at all possible, I'll special order it from them first. Admittedly, this kind of consumerism discourages the bigger chains from carrying Wiccan books, but when they start carrying a real selection, I'll reconsider. As it is, I've only had to order one book from Infinity's Images that I saw at The Little Professor Bookstore.

Let's also talk about some of the other pagan services. I'll be harping until the day I die about The Witches' Voice and how you should send them money. Wren's Nest alone is worth my yearly membership fee. The Witches of the World is another very valuable resource.

Another service that has recently come to my attention is the one provided by Drak.Net, which hosts my page for ten bucks a month. They also provide free webhosting for aspiring pagan webmasters. Are you thinking of doing virtual webhosting? Do you know someone who's considering it? Not only is it the best deal I've seen, but if you sign up with them, you're helping to support six hundred free pagan pages.

That's quite a corkboard.

Afternote: Both Lodestar books in Birmingham, AL, and Infinity's Images in Charlotte, NC, have closed their doors since the writing of this piece. Lodestar had been in business for many, many years, and was even listed in Drawing Down the Moon. Go check and make sure YOUR local shop is still there.

Secondary Afternote: Lodestar books politely corrected me. They've not closed, they've just moved onto a bigger location. This is doubly wonderful news-- the old location was what the real estate folks call "cozy."

© 1999 by Cather "Catalyst" Steincamp