— The Prisoner of AzkabanAs any fan of JK Rowling’s classic book and film series will testify, Harry Potter casts an instant spell to draw you into its fictional world of wizards and wands. But revisiting pages of Expecto Patronum, Quidditch matches or Butterbeer don’t quite do the trick when you’re on a mission to find long-lasting magic in your life. That’s where Wiccan High Priest Lord Angel and his Sabbatical Coven step in, blurring the lines between reality and the realm of Hogwarts.
Body-shaped wax candles are a form of colour therapy, mainly used to amplify sexual desires.
Zoya Lobo is a 24-year old transgender Wiccan who runs the shop alongside Angel and Sonal and feels a strong connection to the vibrations of the moon goddess to take charge of their life.
High Priest Lord Angel Serrao stands in for Dumbledore as the leading head of The Sabbatical Coven.
Sonal Bhosle is a second degree Wiccan Priestess who uses logic to dispel myths and improve people’s understanding of Wicca. She demonstrates the use of the wand in Wiccan practice but points out that it is essentially just a physical tool to focus your strength and energy and can even be substituted by an index finger or fallen twig.
—Professor Severus Snape, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's StoneAt the shop, I was welcomed into witchcraft by an eccentric fusion of bewitching music, burning sage and bright-eyed cats. It was stocked with a variety of magical solutions from oils that multiplied money, love and lust, quality herbs to cure insomnia to skull-shaped candles to replenish sex drive and desire. In an attempt to acquaint myself with the shop before the ritual began, Bhonsle gave me a private tour of all the Wiccan potions and paraphernalia, along with analogies that justified the oils as aromatherapy, wands as channels for the power within, and the red moon ritual as a recharging plug for Wiccan powers.
Bat’s Blood is used as an ink to write Wiccan spells, that promise to do everything from making sure you get laid to increasing the pace of your money flow and weight loss.
—Albus Dumbledore, The Philosopher’ s StoneWhile the shop stores their inventory downstairs, a narrow staircase leads to a cosy spot upstairs that’s dedicated to a variety of deities. Reigned over by the Wiccan’s main Triple Moon Goddesses, the idols take centre stage surrounded by representatives from every religion, including a Ganpati figure, a graphically explicit painting of the goddess Kali, and a dargah for Allah. Angel tells an almost post-modern prophetic story involving dreams of the goddess urging him to help the Wiccan community in India, and a mystical connection with his chosen spot to do so that compelled him to establish this temple.
The Wiccan Temple is a physical space that incorporates all religions. The Goddess Kali and Archangel Gabriel are special to Angel as he began his Wiccan journey with her presence in his dreams and trained to be a reverend before he found his true Wiccan calling.
—Albus Dumbledore, Chamber of SecretsDecked out in a gold-lined cape, Angel tells us stories about people asking for spells for love, banishment, and better marks in subjects they were bad in. He points out that the Wiccans follow a three-fold rule which results in a karmic reaction that expands three times the original size for every spell they put out into the Universe. “I once used a spell to pass Marathi, a subject I absolutely hated. But while I successfully passed that exam, the spell resulted in me getting very poor marks in English, which was my strongest subject otherwise,” reminisces Angel. So although the shop’s spell-casting comes at a higher cost or compromise thanks to the three-fold reaction, you will still find yourself picking from a curated selection of imported Wiccan materials and assorted services —like casting specific spells based on horoscope readings to fulfil desires (everything from better erections to removing spirit possessions). The shop lets you indulge in miscellaneous items of ‘magick’, but the coven is very particular about maintaining their mantra of only healing all and harming none, and therefore filter their members through a strict selection procedure. “We have spells like Separation and Do As I Say that have the ability to mess with free will, which goes against the craft that Wiccans stand for,” says Sonal. “We have to make sure these spells are used for the right reasons like abusive relationships or difficult divorces.”
The Adam and Eve herb mix serves as an ingredient in making a love potion that binds willing couples together.
— Albus Dumbledore, Half Blood Prince Pritam Shah* is a 19-year-old young Wiccan who discovered the religion by watching Harry Potter reruns on TV. He joined the group when he was 17. An engineering student who enjoys cooking, Shah’s foray into Wicca has come closer to pop culture expectations than one might think. “I study potionology and herbology,” he says. “I cast spells for abundance, prosperity and health. I even make my own kitchen cooking oil that I often sprinkle in my food to improve the lives of all those who taste it. My classmates used to laugh at me and question my sanity as a science student, but there is so much logic and reasoning in Wicca. I have learnt to stop getting bothered and become a more confident person. It has been the adventure of a lifetime. Even if we use our brooms to sweep away negative energy rather than fly.” He has grand plans of starting India’s first Wiccan restaurant, serving a menu that heals and benefits his customers—lavender and chamomile cocktails to help relax might feature heavily.
While the shop imports common herbs like lavender, chamomile and sage in their purest forms, Devil’s Claw is a more unique one that is used to drive away negative energy.
— Albus Dumbledore, The Deathly Hallows Celebrating a host of events from the Blood Moon to the first Lamas harvest, their rituals range from deep meditation to trances. Dealing with positive energy and the inherent belief that everyone with an open mind and an intuitive sense should embrace it, is an extraordinary setting for people leading ordinary lives. At the end of the day, it’s a group comprising a lawyer, an IT professional and an engineering student, divided by degree of practice but united in cause: A greater mission to harm none, heal all and establish a connection with not just nature, but all those who acknowledge the energy of the beyond. Mischief Managed.*Name changed on request
