Today we’d like to introduce you to El Rodriguez.
Hi El, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My shop was really a dream cooked up by me and my best friend Xana Hammonds. We wanted to open up a witchy shop/cat Cafe where local music would be played, and witches of all kinds would come in and get their wares. Over the years, life got in the way, my friend became a tattoo artist, and I started a family. During my time as a stay-at-home parent, I was going stir-crazy, making spell jars and art, and I finally decided to push myself and open the shop. It used to be called OF Rune and Ritual, and I’d sold candles and bath bombs, but after a name change (there was a business with a similar name) and some growth, Crow & Marigold Apothecary now sells candles, stickers, jewelry, and altar supplies for every kind of which. I’ve done several markets and made several friends, and learned so many things along the way. I just want my shop to be a little haven for all kinds of witches, from novice witches to seasoned practitioners, witches of color like me, queer witches, trans witches’ and even the curious of heart. There’s plenty of spaces for Christians and other monotheists cis-hetero people, but I want this little shop to be for us, the underdog, the struggling witch on a budget who still wants to venerate their deities without having to choose between their anti-depressants and a candle.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has absolutely not been a smooth road. When I had my son, we couldn’t afford for me to work since we didn’t have childcare options. Then when my spouse lost his job, we were stuck scavenging, with me doing rideshare while he watched the kiddo so bills could be paid, and at the end of the day, we had food and a roof over our head thanks to lots of community help, but we were bare bones. Every day was another step deeper into debt, bargaining labor for market fees, food pantry visits for food, and having to borrow money for gas just to work. I just got a new job working nights that’s been a major lifesaver, and we’re living in a nicer place than before. Honestly, we would be goners if it wasn’t for all our friends and loyal shop customers. It’s tough bringing new things to the shop when you’re living paycheck to paycheck and your new sale JUST made it so you could pay your car insurance. I think the world doesn’t do kindly for little shops, especially when your market is people who are already systemically oppressed. But we’ve all helped each other, and we continue to do so despite state legislation making it harder to be ourselves in public. I’ve made Aphrodite candles for trans women coming into their own and positivity spell jars for stressed and depressed college students. I’ve made grief candles as thank-yous for food donations and gas money. My goal is to make sure that my son can come home from school with his friends to a warm and cozy shop where he can read books and drink tea and know that a new toy or gadget is just a decent sale away. I make sure that my little family doesn’t struggle like I have and that I keep my prices low enough to cater to other struggling people but just enough that I can pay bills.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I make everything from handcrafted jewelry to incense blends to spell jars to candles to altar cloths. I do these all myself, taking inspiration from the world around me, doing market research, and teaching myself new crafts to better improve my reach. I taught myself how to make jewelry even when it takes forever because of nerve damage giving me a hand tremor. I taught myself how to carve linoleum and vinyl to stamp altar cloths, how to find the most ethical candle wax, and put my pitiful knowledge of math and my extensive knowledge of ancient cultures and religions into making the best mixes for my candles. I think what everybody loves the most besides my crystal candles is my crystal confetti. I once saw someone blend crystals and trinkets into a jar and give them out for free for their online sales, so I took that, added a variety of crystal types and sizes (from chips to tumbles), charms, spell jars, little altar supplies, bracelets, incense and all kinds of things. It’s my cheapest item besides my stickers, and I make sure that I always do big scoops because each scoop can contain a crystal or altar supply that the person needed but didn’t have money to buy by itself. I also cater to every spiritual path without cultural appropriating. As an afro-Cuban witch, I bring in little elements of yoruban ATC santeria in my floor washes and stickers and refuse to sell crystals obtained from unethical sources and items like white sage and palo santo. In most shops all you see is Wicca or a little bit of hellenism but I make sure there’s plenty of Norse, Kemetic, Mexican Folk, Cuban folk, and any kind of open or partially open with permission spiritual path. It blew my mind when witches would ask me what floor wash was when I’ve used it in my homes since I was a kid. Or when a Kemetic pagan saw a Ra necklace charged in the sun, they’d otherwise have to look up on an obscure Etsy or a foreign store. I also know how to stand my ground and say no to racists and homophobes who come down to bully others.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
I’ve learned to be kinder and learn more about different paths of spirituality. I thought witchcraft was either Wicca or Santero magic from Cuba. I didn’t know about the closedness of white sage when I first started practicing seven years ago, but I’m glad I was educated along the way so when I opened my shop, I wouldn’t sell it. I learned about mining practices and ethical vs. nonethical sourcing of herbs and crystals. I learned a lot about what things were stereotypes, what cultures were closed, and what kind of world I want my son to grow up in. Every day I decide to add something to the shop. I learn something new from research and word of mouth, and oral storytelling. I strive to keep these little practices as alive as Christians keep prayer and church alive. We aren’t a melting pot; we’re a rainbow of cultures and practices, each one unique and beautiful, meant to be kept alive for generations to come.
Pricing:
- Crystal confetti is $5 a scoop or free with orders $20 and up
- Candles are $13 for big tins and $5 for recycled baby food jars
- Chokers range from $25-35 and come in a variety of styles
- Waterproof holographic stickers are all $3 each
- Polymer clay earrings are $20 and most other earrings are $15
Contact Info:
- Website: https://crowandmarigold.square.site/s/shop
- Instagram: @crowandmarigold
- Facebook: Crow and Marigold Apothecary
- Youtube: Crow and Marigold Apothecary
- Other: TikTok is @crowandmarigold
