Harrogate’s home for witches, spells and crystal balls

Mystical Ways in Westminster Arcade is not your typical high street shop.

This month it moved to a bigger location in the arcade on Parliament Street to accommodate Harrogate’s first tarot card reading room.

It’s owned by Jay Clarke and Joanne Mayben, self-declared witches who say they can summon energy and communicate with spirits.

Believers can buy dreamcatchers to ward off nightmares, crystals to summon good energy and incense, which can help cast spells that attract money, love, protection or light.

Ms Mayben said she gave up a potential job with the police to follow her dream of being a spiritual medium and tarot card reader full time, but some people in her home of Pateley Bridge were critical of her choice.

“Someone said ‘oh my god, you shouldn’t be practicing the arts of the devil!’

“Movies have made witches evil. I’m an electric witch. I’m drawn to fire, crystals and candles.”

The two are dressed head to toe in black, but Mr Clarke insists it’s nothing to fear:

“We wear black not because we’re gothy or scary. People are scared of black, but it’s the best colour for repelling negative energy.

“In life, there is no light without dark, you have to have that balance.”

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Mr Clarke said Harrogate has an undercover community of people into spiritualism and mediumship.

“Some people are ‘in the closet’ and they might sneak in to buy a crystal.”

They say there is a big demand for tarot readings, which are available Monday to Saturday from 10am until 4pm, costing £25 for 30 minutes.

Practitioners such as Ms Mayben use tarot cards to purportedly gain insight into someone’s past, present or future.

Mr Clarke said:

“We don’t bullshit. The cards don’t lie and we don’t either, if something negative appears in the cards we’d work you through that.”

Ms Mayben saw the Stray Ferret reporter’s white dog in her crystal ball

Skeptics say tarot readings are fake, and some people are put off by negative experiences with mediums on Scarborough seafront, but Ms Mayben encourages anyone visiting the shop to have an open mind.

She says she can also communicate with spirits — just don’t call them dead people.

“I have been poked and pushed in the face by a spirit, sometimes I get clear words”.

Ms Mayben says one of her gifts is summoning and understanding energy, so what sort of energy does Harrogate have?

She says:

“Harrogate could be so much more. Everything is asleep and it’s laying dormant, but we are here to wake it up.”

Mystical Ways shop brings the occult to Harrogate

A shop specialising in the mystical and spiritual has opened in Westminster Arcade, Harrogate.

Mystical Ways is owned by Harrogate-born Jay Clarke, who is also a full-time manager at The Crest care home on Rutland Drive.

He said his passion for the occult led him to opening his new business, which could be the only venue in Harrogate to have a pentagram on the window.

According to Jay, there’s a growing community of witches, druids and pagans in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

But rather than being something to fear, he says modern witchcraft, or Wicca, has more positive connotations in the 21st century.

For sale are dreamcatchers to “ward off nightmares”, crystals that can summon “good energy” and insense which can help cast spells that attract “money, love, protection or light”.

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Jay said lockdown has led to more people turning to the occult and witchcraft to find answers and help them through a tough year.

And he doesn’t mind the skeptics who say it’s all made up.

“There is criticism, people find it funny but paganism is a real thing. People get comfort from looking at tarot cards or meditating. If that gives people good intentions then why not? It’s no different to going to church and praying.”

Once social distancing rules are relaxed, Mystical Ways will partner with Westminster Arcade neighbours, Harrogate Tea Rooms, to host tarot card readings.

Jay says a recent tarot reading told him that the covid crisis will begin to disappear by Easter.

“The cards say 2021 will begin by being a struggle, but by Easter things will be much better. They also told me to continue to be dedicated and strong and bring Wicca to Harrogate.”