OFFERS RITUAL ITEMS, CLASSES AND MORE

By SUZANNE M. SCHMIDT
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Basically, Pearl Prather opened Mystikal Scents for two reasons.
“I have always liked retail and this goes along with my faith,” Prather said.
Prather, a Wiccan, also perceived a lack of new businesses where she decided to set up shop.
“I saw a need for it in this area. I specially chose the location because the area is so poor and I wanted to bring new business into this community. I live in the outskirts of Thonotosassa and I see how poor the community is.”
The store sells ritual items such as ink, parchment paper, candles, crystals, gem stones, tarot cards, wands, herbs and an assortment of homeopathic items. Clothes for ritual work such as robes and other types of renaissance and belly dancing clothing are also available.
“We also sell spells that have already been worked during the right phase of the moon and have been blessed,” Prather said. “We have spells for luck, prosperity and fertility. All someone has to do is buy it and believe in it.”
In addition to selling all the items a practitioner would need, she also offers classes in belly dancing, yoga, djembe rhythms, meditation, astrology, tarot, Wicca, Reiki, scrying, magic correspondence, herbal medicine and soap making, physic development and more.
“The belly dancing, yoga, djembe rhythms and the meditation classes are offered weekly and the others are offered at different times,” Prather said. “All of the classes are a lot of fun and very entertaining. I found the belly dancing class to be a good workout. I used muscles I didn’t know I had.”
The djembe rhythms class is all about drums. Each class teaches students about music theory, rhythms and free-style drumming.
“Everyone should bring a drum if they have it and if not we can supply one,” Prather said. “We just sit in a circle and bang on some drums.”
For each class, students are advised to wear comfortable clothing and to bring an open mind. In the yoga class, students should also bring a mat.
“It is such a great class, the stress just pours right off of you,” Prather said. “This is a class anybody at any level can do. The meditation class is also very relaxing. It is a very open environment for people to learn about meditation.”
The store also has a tarot card reader on hand most every day.
“I know my readers are good,” Prather said. “I make them read for me before I let them work here”
Even though Prather has advertised in a few specialized magazines, she said most of her business comes from word of mouth.
Temple Terrace resident E.A. Simmons loves the store.
“I am a regular customer,” Simmons said. “They have a great array of supplies, herbs and oils. She also has a lot of books for reference materials. There is a little bit for everyone. There are classes and it is not just a store for the practitioner, she also sells great incense and herbs.”
Prather said the reason she has a reference section in her store is to help the people who can’t buy the books themselves.
“Sometimes people can’t afford the books, but they need the knowledge,” Prather said. “If a customer wants to come in and read a book they can just have a seat and read. I feel for the people in this community and I just want to help people.”
Prather said there are many other stores selling the same items but at much higher prices.
“I want people to be able to buy what they need, so I don’t have very high prices,” Prather said. “I also carry homeopathic healing items in order to help those who can’t afford to go to the doctor. I want to help people to learn another way.”
Prather said her store is for everybody, whether they are a practitioner or not.
“This is a store for beginners or experts,” Prather said. “All are welcome and no one knows everything. I want people to come in and learn or teach me. These types of items should be made available to everyone.”
Most of Prather’s customers do come from the Thonotosassa area, but they also come from other communities including New Tampa, Lutz, Brandon, Riverview and Ruskin.
Sharon Chest-Moore, a Thonotosassa resident, said she loves the store.
“This is my first visit to the store, but I used to always go to her booth at the Big Top Flea Market,” Chest-Moore said. “It is a very different store, but I love the scents and the herbs.”
Chest-Moore said the reason her and her husband, Cornell Chest, come back to the store is because of Prather.
For more information visit the store at 9545 E. Fowler Ave. in Thonotosassa or call 986-3212.