The Magical Druid, which opened 11 years ago, is a full-service magical and spiritual resource center on North High Street. Credit: Chloe McGowan | Assistant Arts & Life Editor
The Magical Druid provides a warm and safe space for local witches in and outside of its store.
The shop, which opened 11 years ago, is a full-service magical and spiritual resource center on North High Street, James Seamus Dillard, co-owner of The Magical Druid, said. The store carries everything from incense, herbs and candles to crystals and divination supplies, and even provides community witches and pagans with an evening event of their own.
The Columbus Witches’ Ball — an annual Samhain, or Witches’ New Year celebration for local pagans and practicing witches — will return Saturday.
“Columbus Witches’ Ball has been around in Columbus in one form or another for over 20 years,” Dillard said. “Over the years, the Witches’ Ball has been a gathering of like-minded pagans and or witches who would gather for fellowship and community. It is always around Samhain, which is a holy day, probably many would consider one of the holiest of days in the witches’ calendar.”
The Magical Druid has been hosting the Columbus Witches’ Ball for more than 10 of its 20 years in existence, Dillard said. The event has moved locations and switched hands many times over the years, and was even held in the basement of the shop before.
However, Dillard said the main goal of the event has always been to bring the community of local pagans and witches together.
“It was just a great way for people to get together and experience ritual together, experience fellowship together and have a sense of pride in who you are and what you are,” Dillard said.
Dillard said several important parts of The Magical Druid, which will also be incorporated into the Witches’ Ball, are the elements of ritual and spirituality.
“We’ve always wanted to have an element of spirituality in our work, more than just being a retail capitalist store, or more than being a witches’ ball that would be a fun event,” Dillard said. “We’ve always wanted to be centered, anchored, grounded in ritual and spirituality.”
Like most events, the Columbus Witches’ Ball was canceled last year due to the pandemic, Dillard said.
“I think last year is a do-over in so many things we didn’t have, you know. We didn’t have Pride, we didn’t have Dublin Irish Festival, we didn’t have Arnold Classic, so it just, last year didn’t exist,” Dillard said. “So for this year, it’s just a way to get back to that fellowship.”
Kelson Hermance, an employee of The Magical Druid, said he has been attending the Columbus Witches’ Ball for about 10 years, and his favorite part of the ball has always been connecting with old friends and making new ones.
“The ritual’s always nice and the food’s fun and everything else, but you know, when you’re a religious minority, it’s harder to find people who have similar tastes to you,” Hermance said. “Having that socialization aspect is really nice.”
Dillard said The Magical Druid has worked with nonprofit companies for the Columbus Witches’ Ball in previous years, but this is the first time they have been open to sponsorships. He said there are a total of four local sponsors, including Witches Lab, an occult store on the city’s West Side, as well as several vendors such as Blessed Be, a metaphysical store in Grove City.
“It’s great, we’ve got 15 vendors and readers,” Hermance said. “There’s going to be an ancestor shrine with some oracles there so that if you want to talk to people who have passed on, because it’s Halloween, it’s very appropriate.”
Dillard said the event usually isn’t themed, but due to the pandemic and current mask mandate for the city of Columbus, this year will be a masquerade ball. He said there is a maximum capacity of 300 people, masks will be required, social distancing is encouraged and sanitizer stations will be set up all around the ballroom.
“Come wearing something fun, you know. We don’t have a dress code, but it is a ball,” Hermance said. “So, you know, something that’s a little fancier or a little spookier or a fun costume or something, all of that sort of thing is really encouraged.”
Although there will be a group ritual and an ancestral shrine, Dillard said no open flames or open alcohol will be permitted outside of the ballroom.
Tickets for the Columbus Witches’ Ball have sold out, but the event will be held Saturday from 7-11:30 p.m. at the Columbus Convention Center. The Magical Druid is located at 3165 N High St. and is open Tuesday through Friday from noon to 7 p.m., Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.
