LOS ANGELES – “The first year and a half [we’ve been open] was fine, and everyone loved us. All that changed when the Christians showed up in August.” Frey’s Hermetic Supplies, a shop in Huntington Beach, California just south of Los Angeles. The store has reported that their “Pagan Faires in Southern California have been subjected to unwarranted harassment and discrimination… by certain individuals associated with Calvary Chapel of the Harbour who were emboldened by members of the Biergarten family.” The store commented on its site that “Calvary Chapel of the Harbour is a church where people learn of the saving grace, love, and forgiveness of Jesus Christ,” and some of their members own a neighboring shop to Frey’s Hermetic Supplies.
The “harassment” began at Lughnasadh, at the Old World Village shopping center where the shop is located. “Every event we have done, the businesses and residents at Old World love us. All the vendors, [including] established metaphysical shops to start-ups, at our events are kind, polite, clean, respect others and the property, and don’t leave trash behind. It wasn’t until our Lughnasadh, then our Mabon Fair [that] we started having problems.” These issues included “protestors gathering outside of their shop, asking us ‘what Satanic things we were doing’… [then] they left to pray.” Photos of the event show signs asking people to pray, and protestors shared photos of them picketing on public social media accounts, adding that they “had a booth set up to share the love and light of Jesus.”
Frey’s Hermetic Supplies logo
The shop explained that “they picketed our fair in September, harassed all our vendors, talked to people outside our shop to ‘change their ways’ and not come in. They chanted and walked through demonstrations… they were there all day. I complained to the board [of Old World Village]… they were emboldened by one of [the other shop] owners. There are six people on the board, and two are related to the Calvary Chapel fanatics.” In addition to physical protests, the Calvary Chapel has been “stalking our [social media] page.”
Old World has decided not to allow Frey’s Hermetic Supplies to host rituals, despite community support for their work. Ashley Ryan, host of The Occult Unveiled Podcast and a local Los Angeles witch, is doing her best to use her platform to support Freya’s Hermetic Supplies. “I was at work at another occult store when I learned what was happening at Frey’s. I was appalled. I knew I was going to find a way to take action.” Her petition has over 5,000 signatures in less than a week, as of December 9th, 2023. Hundreds of comments and engagements online show community support for the shop, as well. “What affects one store will affect us all.”
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As of December 9th, 2023, the owners of Frey’s Hermetic Supplies have been in continued communication with the HOA of Old World Village, trying to reestablish their community events. “A petition was started to urge the board to let us continue our fairs and not purposely drag their feet so that our May Day Faire is taken from us.” The goals of the petition are stated to be to “Urge the HOA Board of Old World Village Huntington Beach CA to recognize the importance of these fairs in fostering diversity and inclusivity within the community.” In retaliation, if the HOA of Old World Village does not agree to host the May Day Faire, Frey’s Hermetic Supplies is “organizing a protest outside of the Biergarten in February.” The shop has also asked its followers not to harass or communicate with Cavalry Chapel, or the individuals associated with their organization. “Instead, write to your representatives,” Ashley shared on her social media recently. This is also explained in the petition.
As of December 11th, according to Frey’s Hermetic Supplies’ Instagram, Covenant of the Goddess and Los Angeles Pagan Pride have reached out and are in communication with ways to help the shop. The biggest way to help is still signing the petition. “I’m waiting for the next [HOA board] meeting to have a big update… two people are very nice on the board,” reported the shop. “They are going to do elections again in January… we probably won’t have an update for three weeks.”
Frey’s Hermetic Supplies reminded its followers that events like this are “more than just ‘craft’ faires. Sometimes we don’t even get to see one another unless there is an event. Sometimes we meet new people and find a new home… We are a real religion, an old religion and there are a lot of us!”
For those interested in supporting Frey’s Hermetic Supplies, the petition remains open.
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