Hierophany & Hedge is Covington’s new magic shop. Opened in May, this place doesn’t hawk gags and goofs for local birthday-party magicians, but instead is a shop where the secrets of ancient ritual can be unearthed from obscure tomes, where components for protective talismans are found — a place where magic isn’t only real, but essential.
Owned and operated by the mononymous Coil and Augur — two intentionally mysterious and impeccably dressed shopkeepers who look to be plucked straight from Victorian aristocracy — browsing the wares at Hierophany & Hedge is an overall transportive experience. Walk inside and it seems you’ve tripped over time itself only to have undone the past 150 years of fashion and technology, replacing it with immaculate antique woodwork, jars of curious powders, gemlike stones glittering in the warm sunlight, a wall of handcrafted wands made from woods sourced across the world... Is this really in Kentucky, or are we in 19th-century London?
“The ideal way that we would like someone to discover the shop is that they (are) walking down the street and it’s raining and they discover a little alcove here. And, as they’re standing in the alcove, they look through the window, and they see that this is here, and they can’t quite believe that it’s here,” says Augur, whose gaze captivates like a charm of binding, fortified by his precisely tailored gentleman’s suit and bespoke accoutrement.
“And they wonder if they don’t come through the door right now whether it might not be here on a return visit.”
Coil, dressed elegantly in green that accents her intelligent eyes, gives a tour of the shop, which uses every available inch of space to display the various wares they offer.
“Our wands cabinet tends to be a focal point,” Coil says. “We have wandmakers from all over the English- and French-speaking world. Sourcing from the artisans who make our wands was one of the most joyful parts of preparing to open.”
Coil says shoppers who may not know what they would even do with a magic wand tend to walk out with one.
“We encourage a very hands-on experience, so people will come and we will put wands in their hands so they can meet and handle each of the wands they feel drawn to and take something home that really does feel right to them, right in their hand,” she says. “We want to make sure that the personal experience of choosing a magical implement, or something that you’re just going to put over your mantelpiece, or make a part of your cosplay, is as personalized as possible.”
That hands-on experience doesn’t have to stop with their wand selection as you move to their eclectic tarot card offerings. There, you can see how the cards feel in your hand, as there are sample decks open for the curious shopper. Sometimes you just want a deck of cards that feels right to shuffle. Alongside the cards are writing materials, leatherbound journals, quills, ink, nibs, even traditionally produced parchment for those extra fancy magical declarations.
Candles and incense of many sorts are on display, giving the room a mystically righteous aroma. Want to see a meteorite fragment? They have those as well, along with a plethora of stylish jewelry for any occasion. Stones and crystals of many sorts are available.
There’s an adorable collection of plush “familiars” (animal companions, like a witch’s black cat or Jon Snow’s direwolf) if you want something cuddly at your next seance and custom-made Ouija-style boards. An impressive wall of jarred goods lines another wall, with items as simple as dried rosemary to the strangely legal-to-trade powderized wooly mammoth tusk … not something you’d likely find at Whole Foods.
Along the back is an assortment of books: fiction, guidebooks, academic musings on magic. A bit of reading for any sort.
Hierophany & Hedge’s business hours vary from week to week, so be sure to visit their website to find out when their doors open next. Though their given names remain a secret, Coil and Augur are incredibly passionate about their curated collection of magical reagents and ephemera. They opened this store to share the joy magical-thinking brings, so ask plenty of questions while you shop: They’re happy to chat for a spell.
Hierophany & Hedge, 19 W. Pike St., Covington, hierophanyandhedge.com.
By Sean M. Peters
