Recently I had an opportunity to visit all kinds of fascinating Pagan shops throughout Western Canada when I was on a book tour, so I'm writing about them to share them with others.

Penticton, BC is a small city in the southern Okanagan Valley; but still a weird combination of retirement community and bohemian hipster haven (don't get me wrong, I love it.) White Lioness Metaphysics, which is located in the heart of Penticton's downtown, is a collective that’s only been around for a few months, organized by the indomitable Jennifer Innes and a team of dedicated and clever women (and a handful of men) offering a variety of metaphysical services and products.  If you go on a Saturday you will also be able to enjoy Penticton’s fantastic Farmer’s Market, where you can spend the whole day tasting local wine and eating exotic vegan food while you tour art galleries and shop for handmade treasures.  Yes, White Lioness keeps a booth there as well and they offer deals on psychic and Tarot readings every Saturday.

It's a lovely little storefront with a clean, clear layout, usually dominated by a couple of different crystal grids in the middle of the brightly-lit shelves.  What's available for sale doesn't differ significantly from other metaphysical stores and there's a strong focus on crystals, so if that's not part of your practice, your primary attraction will be the original artwork with Pagan themes.  Many Pagans will find the New Agey atmosphere a little cloying, but others will love it.  Their prices are reasonable and tend to be on par, or even a little less, than what is typical for the Okanagan Valley; which is neat because they do not buy any stock and all of their stock is on consignment by members of the collective. (Full disclosure: I've got a small amount of leftover stock from when I owned a metaphysical store on consignment there as well.)

What makes White Lioness really stand out is that it is a collective and the members offer an amazing variety of services and classes in all manner of metaphysics, including a basic Wicca 101, which is offered in an entirely separate (and unusually spacious) back-room area.  You will find the staff helpful and friendly and they offer everything from astrology to herbalism to Reiki to folk witchcraft.  If you're in the area, it's worth your time to stop by.

I wonder if maybe this is the ideal model for metaphysical stores of the future?  With online competition it's becoming increasingly more difficult to make a living in this field; Witchvox warns you to call ahead first when researching a local metaphysical store because they go out of business frequently and don't remove their listings.  It seems to me that there are two main strategies available: 1) be the only one in town, and 2) double up as a business along with something else (I'll be detailing a shop that does just that also.)  Collective action, as it often does, may present a viable third option.

They are located at 419 Main Street in downtown Penticton.  It's a one-way street so you'll have to approach from up the street; turn left off of Eckhardt (the street that carries you into town from the highway) at the big blue church.  For more pictures of White Lioness and Penticton, click on this link or on the picture below:

My website: http://www.sablearadia.com.  New online classes in the Witch's Eight Paths starting soon!