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Here's a quick one. I just passed this walking home from work this evening. Once a hotbed of occult paraphernalia, now a sleek & tony Tapas restaurant. I wonder if they bothered to exorcise the place before opening up Sala.
35 West 19th Street, 1997:
35 West 19th Street, 2010:
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God I had forgotten The Magickal Childe. Thanks for the memory.
Posted by: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=518899621 | March 05, 2010 at 07:16 PM
I used to love that place! I was really sad when Herman died...
Posted by: Howard F. | March 05, 2010 at 08:39 PM
The last great occult shop of NYC... That place was dripping with energy & vibe. I'd love to know where their oil guys went. How I loved them & that smell and their hands peeling through an old book of recipes. I'll never forget this place & glad to see the photo.
Posted by: SB | March 25, 2010 at 03:50 PM
Back in the early '80s when I lived in East Tennessee (noted bastion of occultism... well, there were at least three or four of us), my wife and I went to Britain to visit ancient sites and the British Museum, and we arranged a layover in NYC, in no small part to visit The Magical Childe. We obtained two mediaeval-style Solomonic Magical Swords there (along with a handful of miscellaneous talismans, oils, and incenses) that I don't think we could have found in any other shop on the planet, then or now. The place buzzed with the concentrated quintessence of creativity, dedication, eccentricity, countercultural chutzpah, and, well, magic.
Thanks for sparking the memory.
Posted by: Adam F. | May 06, 2010 at 09:21 PM
Wow. I had really not forgotten, but I admit I haven't been in the loop for a long time. This is a heartbreak. I didn't know. I've been in a very bad place for quite a time now, so if any one remembers me, I would love it if you would be in touch.
Many thanks,
Marge
Posted by: Margaret Sullivan | October 21, 2010 at 09:14 PM
We went here: magickalchilde.com
Posted by: joliett ebay | December 21, 2011 at 04:45 AM
Oh, and we sell Herman Slater's most famous spellbooks that he used exclusively making spells and concoctions in the infamous rear of the store.
MAGICKAL FORMULARY SPELLBOOK I & II.
Love that great picture of the store! Brings back memories to me too.
Posted by: joliett ebay | December 21, 2011 at 04:49 AM
i spent so much "scary" time as a young teen creeping into the Magickal Childe, leaving some friends at the door...looking at all the Aleister Crowley books, etc...sometimes even hearing "satanic" services (in our monster movie fantasies)run by the "devil looking guy" that ran the place, from behind that curtain in the back!!!
:)
Posted by: Howie Pyro | August 24, 2012 at 08:11 AM
THE Howie Pyro?
Posted by: Alex in NYC | August 24, 2012 at 08:46 AM
it looks so different. i've told my children about this place. where are you anthony?
Posted by: maureen h | February 25, 2013 at 11:22 PM
What memories! Attending the Gnostic Mass in the back room, just being around that unqiue energy!
I met Grady McMurtry there. A bunch of us sat spellbound while he told us of his personal adventures studying under Aleister Crowley.
There's been nothing like it before ir since.
Posted by: Dawoud Kringle | May 05, 2013 at 02:41 AM
I miss this place dearly. I frequented it quite often as a young teen. I even have my old black arts spell kit stashed away with the original bag!
Posted by: Dejesus | November 05, 2014 at 10:09 AM
Some friends brought me here, in their early magic mischief years. We went sometime in 1993, several times. The place was a thrilling romantic occult store, very intimidating to a bunch of 16yr olds. I LOVED the incence sticks they had. So sorry that it closed. Even more sorry for Mr. Slaters passing.
Posted by: B. | December 04, 2014 at 11:48 AM
Wow ! Me and my friend's used to frequent The Majikal Childe all the time , buy spells , candles , books , visit Herman . it was our second home . I cannot imagine that as anything else but a craft shoppe .
Posted by: Donna Parish-Bischoff | July 28, 2015 at 11:05 PM
I remember this place like it was yesterday. My uncle Anthony Passaro worked there/ran the shop. I had only been there a handful of times as I was young, but the smells of oils and old books stick with me forever. My uncle had plenty of goodies from the store from after the door were sadly closed. He had passed them on to me slowly.. and once he had passed on my younger sister and I got them all. If anyone ever wants to talk about memories of the store, or Anthony..please feel free to contact me. Blessed be.
Posted by: Samantha Stanowski | January 23, 2022 at 09:44 PM
Wow!!! What a memory. Lived around the corner on W. 20TH from 1988 to 1991. So sad I wasn't deep enough into the magic at the time to have really appreciated my proximity to such a place.
Posted by: Linda Williams | June 03, 2022 at 11:22 AM