Botanicas, small shops with curios, oils, candles and more that serve the predominately Latino communities, exist in almost any major metropolitan community. These business offer spiritual counseling, tarot card readings or other types of divination and items not normally found on the shelves of other five and-dime or variety store shelves. These shops mainly cater to the Latin American cultures, but are also visited by a large African-American and Caucasian populace who practice forms of magickal practices as their belief system.
Candles to burn for all kinds of situations
There are mainly two types of botanicas; one catering to a strong following to the Carribean religious beliefs such as Santeria, Lucumi, Voodou and Obeah and the Mexican influenced Brujeria. Many bontanicas will carry items of both variations as people move around the country, but in largely Mexican polated areas such ad Texas and through the Southwest, you will find more of the brujeria influence than Miami, which has a large Cuban population, and would be more inclined to carry items related to Santeria.
Typical Mexican botanica
A Mexican or brujeria based botanica will offer many items that you will see also in a Carribean culture botanica as both cultures and their lands were under Spanish or French rule and therefore have a heavy Catholic influence. The difference is that while a Mexican botanica will have many statues, prayer cards and chromographs of Catholic Saints, the botanica that serves the Carribean belief systems will also carry statues and images of other Gods and Goddesses from Africa that have been syncronized into the Catholic belief system.
Botanica carrying Santeria products
Candle shops, which mainly are located in areas of large African American populations, may or may not carry all the same items that botanicas may have because their belief practices are connected with hoodoo, conjure and folk remedies and cures from the Southern United States.
Oils, powders and spiritual products from a botanica
To read about them, click this link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/08/botanicas-santeria-occult_n_1079968.html#s457557&title=Botanica_Dreams
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