About us...

So what's a Pickeyweedz? Great question! That name came from our coven in MI. One of our member's father jokingly called us all that as we are 'always in that woods being Pickeyweedz!" He was referencing the little 'stickers' that get all over one's britches while trapsing through the woods and 'pucker brush'. 

We've both been practicing members of the Pagan community for over two decades. As such we have haunted many a Pagan and New Age shop through living in MI, NC and now PA. We've always been addicted to the scents of incense, candles and old books and having a store of our own has been a long-held dream of us both.

We've worked hard to offer all of that plus something we haven't seen enough of lately - inclusion. What we mean by inclusion is really.. everyone. Regardless of your spiritual path or religious dogma, we are all so much more similar than different in our practices. Building on that thought, our store carries more than just Pagan spirituality but also items of interest ranging from Eastern beliefs to the Abrahamic religions.

Granted, our primary focus is to cater to those of the Pagan persuasion but to discount everyone else would be a disservice to those other communities, and after all - we all need to be more inclusive nowadays. It's our firm opinion that even if you don't share or even accept another's belief system doesn't mean we can't all be accepting of another's right to practice how they see fit and get along. 

The principle rule in our store for everyone - is just simply... Be decent to each other. That's it... not too difficult really and one that we believe will equally serve everyone.

So what else sets us apart?

We are the largest boutique of our kind in Northeastern Pennsylvania.  At nearly three thousand square feet in space we are chock full of precious things from around the world with a dynamic inventory that changes with every order.  We always have the staples of practice on-hand like incense, candles etc. but we make it a point to always bring in something brand new with each restock of the store.

We have a dedicated event space where we host both local & internationally known practitioners, workshops, classes, group events, author book signings, a weekly meditation group as well as a wide variety of interesting events hosting a variety of vetted & qualified practitioners. 

We vet all of our presenters as thoroughly as we can to prevent those that might prey on people from having access to our community. That vetting process does not conclude with the initial conversation prior to booking - rather, we continuously monitor for any issues or hints that the person may have unscrupulous intent and we have and will continue to remove and ban frauds, charlatans and persons that display predatory conduct from the store accordingly. We take the safety and well-being of our community exceptionally serious as we view both seekers and spirituality as sacred.

We are a designated 'Safe Space' and have a multitude of resources and connections to local organizations to assist those displaced due to religious / spiritual beliefs and / or their orientation/s. 

We have an entire section of the store dedicated to showcasing local crafters & other small businesses.  We have an incredible community of creative & talented artists and we love to provide a space to show them off. 

We host and record a live podcast session (In the Weedz) weekly from the store that has now gained an international listener base. Sometimes it's just the two of us chatting about things and sometimes we have guests in-studio or remote from around the world. Our podcast is hosted on podbean but may be heard on all major platforms as well as directly from this website & our social media platforms.

All of our herbs, teas and mushrooms are fresh and sourced directly from people that we know take great care in their propagation.  We do not sell those little bags of herbs from commercial sources where the consumer has no idea how long those have sat in warehouses and  / or on shelves which directly results in a less than quality product.  All of our herbs, teas and mushrooms are either sustainably wild-crafted or organically grown and are continuously monitored for quality & freshness.

All of our stones, minerals & crystals are sourced directly from vetted and reputable sources from around the world.  We do not buy all our crystals from China or other sources known for offering fake or low quality products.  Our goal is to continuously offer the highest quality, genuine crystals at a competitive price.

 

What we do not do:

We do not dropship via our website.  Everything on this site may be found in our store; they literally draw from the exact same inventory.  We also utilize vetted and reputable sources for all of our products and we will never offer bootleg or fraudulent 'knock-off' goods.  Occasionally, items showing in-stock online may not be available in-store as the online store never shuts down and therefore sales can take place while on the way in to see us.  Also, since we are human; sometimes there may be an occasional discrepancy in what is physically in-stock and what is showing on the website.  We make every effort to ensure this doesn't happen; but it can from time to time. 

We don't put on 'a show' meaning when you walk in we're not pushing an aesthetic in the way we dress or talk.  We have been practitioners for decades and yet still consider ourselves students with a firmly placed beginner's mindset.  A lot of visitors have come in expecting otherwise and are pleasantly surprised that we look & act like 'normal' folks (their words).  We have had people come in as if they were hosting a tour group and we were presumed to be the entertainment.  While we may have an occasional bawdy streak - and the conversations around the counter can erupt into hilarious laughter - our purpose has never been to 'entertain' or 'perform'. What you see is what you get, we are practicing Witches in jeans and sweatpants. No pretense here.

Our store is cleansed and blessed daily in accordance with our tradition. Many visitors flock to the store in dire need of healing and carry with them, an enormous amount of spiritual baggage.  If a store does not conduct appropriate banishment & blessing practices; this energy tends to build up into a heavy 'ick' presence.  We hear comments all the time on how good it feels in the store.  There is a reason for that clean and welcoming feeling - and we work tirelessly to provide it for everyone that visits every day. 

Speaking of baggage... we are neither physicians nor mental health professionals.  We will do our best to listen and answer your questions based on our experience/s but nothing we say should be interpreted as medical advice either physical or mental.  Please always consult your licensed medical provider for your physical and / or mental health needs.

We were the first store in this area of our size and scope.  There have been past New Age stores but never a store like ours that offered what we do, in the way that we do.

We opened our first store on March 1st, 2020 just 19 days before the pandemic shutdown.  We survived by working our tails off.  We made hundreds of non-contact deliveries and pick-up in store sales. We put in a ton of hours ensuring our community could still receive orders and they in-turn supported us which allowed our little store to survive.

We emerged from lockdown on June 5th, 2020 and we have been off to the races since.  After three years in our small store at 103 S. State St. Clarks Summit, PA we scaled up to our current location at 105 Layton Road, South Abington, Twp. PA.

Since our opening, a plethora of copy cat stores saw our initial success & have popped up all around the area attempting to copy what we do and effectively - cash in. Even some gas stations (yes, gas stations) have tried to extend their profit margins by selling crystals. 

We have dealt with small town drama (those little town blues...), jealousy, envy and all manner of childish nonsense over the years. A few folks had the misguided perception that they would be able to alter our vision by using us as stepping stones for their own personal gain or notoriety and when that didn't pan out the way they expected they began small town whisper campaigns in an attempt to hurt us or our reputation.  Just a word if you are thinking this... don't. 

All of this coupled with the fact that we have to also compete with billionaire owned online companies that can offer ridiculously low prices & enormous inventory / buying power; makes life difficult to earn an honest living while doing right by the people. 

We have dealt with all of the above by 1 - Ignoring the hate & envy (our block hand is strong!) and 2 - Compete with ourselves and not the copy cat / cookie-cutter, make a fast buck group by constantly pushing ourselves to continue to be creative as well as to continue to hold our determination to lead the pack by being our authentic selves, constantly offering new events, products as well as ensuring our space remains a safe & pleasant experience for all.

We do have clearly set boundaries and we do actively enforce them for the good of our community that chooses to shop with us.

Unfortunately, these are the issues a small-business owner trying to do the right thing has to deal with and still keep a smile on their face hoping for better days.

We are determined to always be ethical in all that we do regardless of social pressure.

We are determined to consistently offer our community a place to gather, and to offer high quality items at affordable pricing that they need for their practice and / or tradition.

We are determined to be a resource for the community and not just a place you buy candles.  We are here to answer questions and assist to the best of our ability and if we don't know the answer - we never fake the funk... we will find out together!

Our end goal with Pickeyweedz was to not just have a store but a center for the entire community. A safe place to gather, be your authentic self and just soak up the good vibes.  Yes, it does help if you purchase even a small something so we can afford to keep the lights on (this is our only source of income so...) and we do appreciate those that continue to support the store as we would not be here without them but there will never be a pressure sale within these walls.

It is a constant effort to ensure this space remains safe and free from bad behavior as well as to continue to offer new and exciting products & events. It is however, an effort of love. 

Thank you to all of our loyal customers and thank you for visiting us.  We can't wait to see you again!

John & Tay (and Bella!)

Pickeyweedz