Las Tres Ninas Blancas on 24th Street

My favorite psychic/botanica shop on 24th Street is Las Tres Ninas Blancas. The store has been open for three months now. This shop, more than any other, underscores the workings of faith and Christianity with the Holy Death and Mexican fascination with the Dia de los Muertes. The shop is still new, so it isn't stuffed yet with hard to find and look at little knick-knacks like Angela's Gift House a little further down the street. Las Tres Ninas Blancas immediately attract interest on the street with the display of very large skeleton statues and saint statues in the window. The life-sized grim reaper skeleton is decorated with fabric and sequins and has thrilling impact. I found myself drawn to the shop, in search of secrets and charms the shop holds.

The shop also gives psychic reading and tarot card readings by Sandra, the owner of Tres Ninas. The readings are given in a small room at the back of the store. If you need to wait for your reading, you can sit and contemplate an alter, with a skeleton draped in white and offerings of fruit, flowers, and candles. It is an effective setting and tone for the readings. It is important not to forget reverence for the dead, it will be you someday.

Inside you find shelves of candles that the faithful burn for healing. Candles in glass jars symbolizing the Holy Death, attractive luck, and strong love line the shelves on one wall of the store. On the other wall is a shelf of candles, without the glass, in the shape of women, men and other holy symbols. As you browse, burning incense stimulates your senses. Amulets, spices and lucky powders line the rack by the front door. What you do with it, how you construct your lucky charms, depends on your own knowledge, or the instructions of the resident psychic.

The counters are glass cases filled with the jabon - Mexican and Pan-American soaps in very interesting packaging. Again, you can find soap for every spiritual occasion. The boxes of soap have drawings describing their powers of cleansing, people in angst, skeletons clothed in black and everything lucky. Also in the glass cases are scented eau de toilets and flower water to splash on after washing, to further increase the strength of the spell, and, hopefully, heal wounds to your spirit and faith.

Who goes to this shop? Not just the resident Mexican faithful. Las Tres Ninas Blancas is open to the community. Cici, the store's interpreter tells me that everyone in the community is welcomed and served: Mexican, black, white, Central American and the random tourist. Even Buddhists have a place here. There are also statues of Buddha and Hindu tankas on the walls along with the picture of all-powerful skeletons, Jesus and other saints, presents for your home environments. Whatever your spiritual practices, you're sure to find something to inspire.