The Magic Pharmacy I Didn't Understand

Ryan and I thought because we live in such an old building and in such an old town it would be fun to play with an Ouija Board only we can't find one. Imagine that! We're in one of the nation's largest cities and cannot find a good old fashioned Parker Brothers Ouija Board. Perhaps we're not looking hard enought and a trip to WalMart is in store.

Matters of the occult mildly interest both of us, and since Ryan got this cool book of case studies on American exorcisms between 1965-1974 we've been talking ghosts, and hauntings and other experiences we've had or heard about.

I had a friend in college and I used to mess with him real bad. We'd get all liquored up and he'd want to play with his Ouija Board. I'd make the Ouija Board say all kinds of spooky stuff and he'd be stricken with fear to the point that his face had gone through several color changes. Then I would out myself as the prankster and he'd feel so let down. But, when you're safe it's so much fun to be scared.

We talked about a well-known husband-and-wife team who worked as, let's say, ghost hunters, for lack of a better term. Ed and Lorraine Warren were there names, and apparently they made an appearance to the university Ryan attended. They had haunted items and stories to share. Lorraine is a self proclaimed clairvoyant, and Ed a demonologist.

Ryan told me about a haunted doll they brought with them. It was encased and anyone's touching it was strictly forbidden. The doll allegedly harbors some pretty bad energy, and as Ryan heard the Warrens say - a group of boys at one of their appearances touched the doll despite being told not too. Either they thought they were being funny, or didn't believe and were making a mockery of the whole thing, but they touched the doll and after the event they died in a car wreck on their way home. Since then they have kept this doll in a case. Guaranteeing everyone's safety. And now it's on display in the Warrens' Occult Museum.

Here's the thing about all that haunted, voodoo, ghostly, ghastly stuff. I don't know how much I believe in it, but I don't know that it's worth messing with. I do believe in energy, and I do believe in good and evil. I think in an ideal situation good overcomes evil, but even though I live in Hollywood I know that's not the ending every thing and situation gets.

I don't believe in the Ouija Board, but I have been told some pretty creepy stories and I've been wrong about a lot of things before. I know I don't have to believe in order for some things to be true.

So all this brings me to tell you all about this pharmacy downtown. Ryan somehow heard about it. He knows about a lot of cool things as it turns out. A write-up online about this pharmacy revealed that it was a little bit aspirin, hair dye, shampoo, and a little bit potions, candles, herbs, and oils. It was all so true.

I don't know that the pharmacy had another name other than just pharmacy. And everything was written in Spanish, and my Spanish just wasn't good enough to put everything together.

There was some money soap, and some "Be Successful" oil, there were a few concoctions that kept there were so many candles, and bags of herbs. They had teas, and statues. I didn't even dare take a picture because I did not know what I would have been taking a picture of, but it was some kind of shrine to some kind of spirit, or saint, or demon, I have no clue.

Oils

Soaps

Herbs

Statues

I wanted desperately to ask more questions about the store. Questions about why people come in, and do they really believe in the magic that these potions, and oils, and herbs make claim to. I wanted to know who the shrine was to. I couldn't read the Spanish above the entrance into the shrine. I wanted to know who if anyone this magic worked for. I wanted to know if there was energy in that store. It was interesting enough without knowing the answers to all my questions, but I don't think we'll be visiting again anytime soon.

We stopped at the Grand Central Market for lunch. We had some seriously authentic Mexican. It was quite yummy and very much picture worthy.

Grand Central Market - Half grocer, half food court

Ryan had the beef burrito, it was huge and unconquerable

I had the chicken taco with mild salsa - quite delightfu