Altar Cloths Abound

Hello,

I'm now almost 6 weeks into working at Joann's.  Most of the time the usual bland assortment of guests come through.  Cranky about having to drive back to town over one spool of thread, one more skein of wool or how they came in for one thing and couldn't help but go all consumerists in every isle.

Then you get the real gem customers.  The lady who was making very tasteful wine bottle covers.  Being from the South we are all about keeping the alcohol covered, but not shying away from it's consumption.  There is the lady making table runners; one making new years decorations and the guy who is making all three siblings from Animaniacs.

Lately though I have seen a plethora of people coming in to make Pagan arts and crafts.  One woman was making Wolf and Eagle jewelry.  I don't know what the finished product was going to look like but I overheard her talking about it with her daughter.  It looked like they were both Native American and the daughter was about 10 and wearing this shirt.

The selection of items they brought up looked like it would have made something like this, but also with a couple of Eagle and Wolf pendants as well.

Credit

The next day I had a lady with some very nice red lame fabric.  I asked what it was for (we are a craft store after all!) and she said, "It's not really... to make something."  I was confused by her off-putting eye aversion.  I wanted to know what you'd do with that much red fabric if you didn't intend to use it to "make" something.  Then she said, "It's kinda weird."  I had this "try me" look on my face so she she takes the fabric and puts it in her bag rather possessive though not aggressive, as if telling me what it's for and me rejecting the idea might taint it.  "It's for a Native American altar cloth," she says.  Neither her nor her male companion look remotely NA.  My eyes light up, "No," I said, rejecting the idea that I would think it's weird, "I get it!"  She looked a little stunned that I was smiling.  She sort of turned back to me, as if she wanted to have conversation, but the lady next in line did not wait for me to call her and was literally pushing her out the door.  I waved, a little upset that I wouldn't get to tell her that I really, really get it and she left.  What I fell like I should have said was, "It does feel weird getting ritual supplies form mundane arts and crafts stores, doesn't it?"  Because I do and I have.



I also get a trip out of people who ask me for wax seal kits and I point them to metaphysical shops.  They're like, "What?"  "It's where the Wiccans get their overpriced table cloths with moons all over them."  "Um... what?"

I'm constantly amazed by how many people in Oregon can't google it.

Salutations,
Sesh