‘I want this space to be community’: Witchlight Oracle Apothecary prioritizes connections and spirituality
Published: 04-26-2025 9:01 AM |
Abby Rollins has always had an “otherworldly knowing,” one she denied for many years.
During the day, she often experienced deja vu. At night, she had premonitory dreams.
Five years ago, she decided to fully explore her sixth sense — or “intuition,” as she calls it — by leaning into her spirituality. She read everything she could get her hands on about spiritual connections and witchcraft. Then, she bought her first oracle deck.
“I describe it as feeling like I was trying to speak a language that I didn’t know, and then, somebody taught me the language. All of a sudden, I was like, ‘Okay, perfect. Now I can just do this,’ ” she said.
Rollins, now an oracle card reader and alignment coach, opened Witchlight Oracle Apothecary in Concord last summer. She offers card readings, listening sessions, emotional release sessions and a communal gathering space open for public use with a library area and art display. Rollins said she wants the shop to be neurodiverse and gender inclusive, providing a safe space for anyone who may seek it.
The apothecary, nestled into one side of Warren Street, also sells spiritual items and provides education around different cultural practices, ensuring these practices stay rooted in their history.
“We’re going to continue to shine light on appropriation, what it means and why it’s so much more impactful when you’re using a cultural practice to keep it rooted in its culture and not remove it from that,” said Rollins, whose work has gained traction through social media, psychic fairs and pop-up readings.
The shop’s back room functions as a free store where people drop off seasonal items and staples. Anyone can stop by and take what they need.
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“I realized that having this space lends itself really well to bringing people together, having that community, but also it is such an accessible location for our unhoused neighbors, for instance,” she said.
Rollins loves seeing the outpouring of donations and the way the free store benefits those around her.
“We’ve got some big packages of diapers in the bathroom, a changing table and menstrual hygiene products in there available. Truly, whatever I can do to just make sure that my neighbors’ needs are met. I’m very community-minded. That’s just how I live my life, and so I want this space to be a community,” she said.
Beyond the services and products available at Witchlight Oracle, the apothecary also offers regular events, such as a coven craft club, a book group, sound baths and monthly community support gatherings that connect attendees with community aid, mutual aid and direct action organizations for people looking to get involved.
Rollins holds clothing and supply drives for different organizations and hosts discussions ahead of City Council meetings for people interested in attending to better understand the agenda.
“It’s not in layman’s terms,” Rollins said. “So it’s really hard for the community and civilians to actually get involved with that kind of stuff. We have a few folks who’ve been going every month for a while. They come in, they go, ‘Here’s the agenda. Here’s the history on these agenda items, and here’s what you should know or look out for.’ We’re all like-minded as far as our beliefs and affiliations, and so we’re able to just spread the word.”
Recently, she began holding Sunday services driven by conversation and followed by a potluck meal. These services contribute towards her dream of founding an interfaith temple.
“A lot of people will tell you that, if you build the space, people will come and they will do what they need,” she said. “I think that’s been the most surprising thing is that that’s really, really true. If you just allow people the space to explore their needs, they will tell you what they need, and they know better than anyone else what their needs truly are.”
She continues to dream big and search for more ways to expand her community outreach while helping people foster their own spirituality.
“Everyone has their own unique, intersectional perspective on life,” she said. “And if you can stop and listen, I find that that’s truly the most spiritual experience: the sharing of one’s perspective.”
For more information about Witchlight Oracle Apothecary, visit www.witchlightoracle.com. To stay up-to-date on events, check out @WitchlightOracle on Facebook and Instagram. Sunday services take place at the store, located at 21 Warren St., from 12:30-2 p.m., with a potluck from 2-4 p.m.
Rachel Wachman can be reached at rwachman@cmonitor.com