TEN YEARS SINCE BELL, BOOK, AND CANDLE
Bell, Book And Candle shut down ten years ago this week. It had been such a Vegas institution that it is still very hard to believe. It was singular, it was incredibly magical, and it served the Occult community in Las Vegas well for several decades. Charmaine Dey (author of The Magic Candle and Casting The Rune Stones) and her husband Steve opened BB&C in the early 70s, with other well known Witches and authors Tarostar (Sacred Pentagraph and many more) and Sybil Leek (Diary Of A Witch, Complete art Of Witchcraft and many more) being mainstays at the shop, and in the corporation when BB&C was incorporated. The original site was on Las Vegas Boulevard South, on a sliver where LVB and 4th Street converge. ‘Talk Of The Town’ was next door for many years. The building on the site has only been demolished in the last few years. The second location was on East Charleston, close to Eastern where the antique shops are now. The third and last location was also on East Charleston, in a strip mall that for many years also housed Vessely Music, Macayos restaurant, with Blueberry Hill diner next to it. Ownership changed hands to Lucky Simone sometime after Charmaine died in 1983. Steve Dey continued to work there. When Lucky died (1997 or ’98 if I remember correctly) ownership passed one more time to Robin Criswell and Alex Triton, who most of us know as Lady Morgana and Lord Mordred. "Like many Witches, I got my start in Bell Book and Candle." It was 1989, I was newly stationed at Nellis AFB, and despite my Lutheran upbringing, I was a long time atheist. The first day I was brought to the shop I bought Anna Riva’s Secrets Of Magical Seals. The next day, I took a bus down and bought A Book Of Pagan Rituals and that was all it took. Steve Dey sold me many of the classics: A Witch’s Bible Compleat, Modern Magick, The Spiral Dance, Gems From The Equinox, Wicca For The Solitary Practitioner, The Golden Dawn, and several others as well as Tarot, Runes and thee coolest jewelry. It was the most magical, fascinating store I had ever seen. When Lady Morgana and Lord Mordred were offered to take over Bell Book and Candle, they jumped at the chance. They described it to me as a life-long dream come true. For a year or so, they ran their old store, Cat N Cauldron concurrently. This was home of Temple Of The Inner Circle, which used the same corporate documents as All Saints Church Of Mystic Science, which had also been founded by Charmaine and Steve Dey and Tarostar. We are fortunate to have both sets of corporate documents in our archives. Robin and Alex eventually closed Cat N Cauldron, and we all helped move the store and TOTIC to Bell Book and Candle. The back room became TOTIC with its beautiful Altar, large columns, banners and artwork. The fountains/candle nooks were removed, and a reading room and closet installed. Any customer who wanted to burn their candles at the shop could burn them on the Altar, under the gaze of an incredible Artisans’ Guild winged Isis statue. Soon a second Altar was installed to handle all the candles. We were lucky to have the legendary Ed Fitch come to one of our Saturday Night events, as well as authors on book tour like Christopher Penzcak. Lupercalia, Halloween, Karaoke, Belly Dancing, Lectures on Runes, Tarot, Ouija, Pendulum, Sabbats, Gated Candles, Aromatherapy (Uttati oils!), movie night, Street Smarts (Occult style)- the list goes on and on. And most Saturday events turned into late night parties, often like a dance club. All of the Elders of Inner Circle Sanctuary worked in the store; most of us here and there, but Lady Atheona worked it for several years. Lady Airrawind was the last, and we owe her a huge debt of gratitude for being the one to keep BB&C open realistically two years or so past any viability. She with Lady Rowyn also kept classes going after the store closed, and we are also very thankful for that! Temple classes started to be held in the front of the store. The final class began in January, 2014. Poor health, and changing times slowly led to the decline and closure of Bell Book and Candle. Please support local stores as much as possible. And remember the good, magical, Witchy times you had at Bell Book and Candle! Lord Tanys, High Priest, Inner Circle Sanctuary www.innercirclesanctuary.com/ Lady Morgana's Tradition lives on! www.facebook.com/sacredpentagraph Tarostar's Tradition lives on! web.archive.org/web/20131020024108/http://lasvegasbbc.com/whatto1.ivnu The old BB&C website set up by Lady Sisterwolf from a… let’s just say more innocent time. These pages starting in 2002 bring back many fond memories! witchworld109.com/main_page.html Las Vegas Occult history particularly BB&C to 1989 (a lot of which is used in this post) can be found on the late and wonderful Tarostar’s page www.blackmoonpublishing.com/left-hand-press Several versions of Tarostar’s incredible Sacred Pentagraph books can be purchased here www.amazon.com/Magic-Candle-Fundamentals-Ritual-Candle-Burning/dp/0942272005 The classic by Charmaine Dey www.amazon.com/Queen-Dreams-Heather-Valencia/dp/0671797239/ref=sr_1_1 Some memories of Bell Book and Candle by Charmaine’s niece can be found in this very interesting book redwheelweiser.com/book/a-book-of-pagan-rituals-9780877283485/ A Book Of Pagan Rituals The book that started it all off for me, purchased at BB&C in the Spring of 1989- still one of the best books out there!  Follow Inner Circle Sanctuary on Facebook & Instagram.
If you are interested in learning more about us, please don't hesitate to Contact Us. If you are interested in joining our classes, please start with our questionnaire here. Want to see how we do things? Try out a sample test: Follow this link to a Google Doc: https://forms.gle/7oaQ5GF3d8k4CsA37 Originally posted 03/25/2020  Tarostar has crossed the veil. March 25, 1942 - April 27, 2022 - May 30, 2022 This weekend marked the 30 day Ceremony commemorating one of the last OG Vegas Witches from the late 60s/early 70s Tarostar. People from all over North America attended. The following day was a live memorial in his adopted Canada, and was a beautiful event. This is the piece I sent to be read: TAROSTAR The Magical community of Las Vegas is built on the foundations laid by Tarostar and his magical companions, who are larger than life to those Witches here who know a bit of local history. History is a rare thing in Las Vegas, a town that is constantly reinventing itself. Stability as well is hard to find. Tarostar thankfully gives us a sense of both. My late High Priestess Lady Morgana spoke fondly about him, and I particularly recall her tales of the rented halls he would use for the Hallowmas Dumb Supper. I was of course duly impressed! His website rounded out my own Vegas Magical History education, and there is a special feeling knowing I have been to several of the places he mentioned, and met some of the people he wrote about. But alas, I never met Tarostar in person. I am eternally grateful for my dear friend Kate Russell, who put me in contact with him. I tried, to no avail, to not fan boy out in our conversations. Fortunately for me he was very gracious, informative, and even agreed to be interviewed. I know him mostly from his books, which are so unique and awesome! As Kate told me originally, the many spells that fill his books were written for clients with a specific need. Knowing Las Vegas people, it was so obvious once she pointed it out! I can easily imagine Tarostar reaching for the oils and herbs to dress the candles and give the directions to the would-be spell worker. His books on the religion of the Craft are the most dear to me. What an incredible body of wisdom and practice he gave to us. The books for the Solo Witch, the three person Chamber of Hecate, and the Sacred Pentagraph Tradition are the clearest, most complete out there. What an amazing body of work! Through these I came in contact with Thorn Nightwind, who is so inspirational, such a good leader, and is such a perfect person for keeping the Sacred Pentagraph Tradition alive and thriving. He gives me hope for the future. Tarostar was rather surprised when I told him that my late High Priestess Lady Morgana had used the corporate documents for his All Saints Church of Mystic Science for her own Witchcraft church, Temple of the Inner Circle, in 1991. That Temple became our Coven, Inner Circle Sanctuary, in 2014. The original documents from 1976 are a tangible link to the Man and what he started here, are a connection to him, and we cherish them. Our Coven still works material Tarostar wrote, including spells and some ritual lines such as the Invocation to Hecate from A Book Of Shadows. My memories of Bell Book & Candle (where I got my magical start) and Psychic Eye shops are charged with his presence. The power of place is evident to me whenever I am near the places in which he Worked. I am very thankful for you, our Siblings to the North, who made Tarostar so welcome and supported him for so many years. Thankful and a little bit envious to be honest! Our Magical Community in Las Vegas and indeed, our Coven Tradition would not be the same without Tarostar. He looms large in our collective spirit. He inspires us to more. And his spirit lives on. We love you and thank you Tarostar. Blessed Be. Tanys https://witchworld109.com/main_page.html Interview with Tarostar | Inner Circle Sanctuary https://www.innercirclesanctuary.com/updates-and-info/interview-with-tarostar-occult-author Interview with Kate (Lady Iris) Aug 2019 (Audio Only) - Inner Circle Sanctuary https://www.innercirclesanctuary.com/updates-and-info/interview-with-kate-lady-iris Happy Birthday, Tarostar! Or as we often refer to him: “The Man”. Today, March 25, we honor this incredible Witch, Author, and Craft Elder, who has touched the lives of so many people. Whether you have gotten readings from him, or magical supplies, or read one of his many books, or are a Sacred Pentagraph member, or putting his Sacred Pentagraph Lodge-Style Wicca system to work for you, many thanks are owed to this dedicated, hard working man! Here in Las Vegas, Tarostar perfected his Craft at the original Bell, Book and Candle, and running his own store, Ye Olde Herb Doctor. As our mutual friend Lady Iris describes, many of the spells in Tarostar’s books come from customer requests for magical solutions to the real life issues they had. Anyone who has read his books, can see how serious some of these issues were. "A classic occult curmudgeon, Tarostar's no-nonsense practical application approach to the Craft, his written legacy and role modeling of life as lesson is cherished by those who love his wit, follow his blazed trail and find themselves more self aware and deeply engaged in the inner occult path as a result. He is a true Elder in every sense of the word." Lady Iris Love and Money, Luck and Revenge, were all aspects of life for which Tarostar crafted spells. And they got results. And whether you do the spells, or just read them, Tarostar’s rhymes, diagrams, and attitude make them so FUN! In 1976 Tarostar did the coolest thing: he incorporated the All Saints Church Of Mystic Science with the State of Nevada, putting Witchcraft and Magick on the same playing field as other religions. This would have the ripple effect not only of bringing respect to Witchcraft, but fast forwarding several years, the All Saints Church Of Mystic Science doing business as (dba) Temple of the Inner Circle, would again teach Witchcraft to the public, and was the parent organization of Inner Circle Sanctuary. Speaking of the religion of Wicca, Tarostar also created the Sacred Pentagraph Tradition. This Lodge Style tradition of Craft working is a monumental achievement. And fortunately, he has written it all down for us to use. These incredible documents can be found at http://witchworld109.com/main_page.html and in two beautiful books called The Sacred Pentagraph. So really, Tarostar has thought of it all, and written it out for us. He wrote spellbooks for people who need practical results. He wrote a book I hope to see republished soon- “Sabbat Ceremonies for Solo Witches”. For a group of three, there are the “Chamber of Hecate” rituals found in his Book of Shadows. And of course, an incredible wealth of material in the Sacred Pentagraph books awaits any group of people ready to do work seriously cool Witchcraft. “Tarostar V* is not just an Elder who has passed down tried and true occult wisdom to us through the lodge-based system we know, love and hold dearly as the Sacred Pentagraph Tradition, but is such a trusted friend and teacher. He has been the most impactful teacher I’ve had on my Wiccan & occult journey and my life has forever changed in the most magical of ways. Today, the legacy of Sacred Pentagraph has continued and is honored by many generations of practitioners stemming from our coven and his teachings. Happy Bday Tarostar!” -Matt, High Priest IV* from the Wolfa Coven of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. https://covenofthewolfa.wordpress.com/ Tarostar is still working Magick and doing readings for clients in Canada. He is active on facebook, and of course you can read more about him in his own words at his website http://witchworld109.com/main_page.html Happy Birthday Tarostar! We love you!
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If you are interested in learning more about us, please don't hesitate to Contact Us. If you are interested in Joining our classes, please start with our questionnaire here. Interview with Tarostar | Inner Circle Sanctuary Tarostar is a well known and beloved author, leader of several Wiccan/Pagan Communities, and was an original mover and shaker of the Occult community here in Las Vegas, Nevada. He resides in Canada, and still reads for clients at The Occult Shop in Toronto. Tarostar can be contacted at [email protected] and is on facebook. Read about Tarostar and download his incredible Sacred Pentagraph books at http://witchworld109.com/main_page.html Tarostar’s Sacred Pentagraph Tradition can be found at https://www.facebook.com/sacredpentagraph/ https://youtu.be/YX84PXKAE6  Follow Inner Circle Sanctuary on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram.
If you are interested in learning more about us, please don't hesitate to Contact Us. If you are interested in joining our classes, please start with our questionnaire here. Audio of interviews conducted |
Inner Circle SanctuaryInner Circle Sanctuary is a school for traditional style Wicca and holds eight sabbat festivals every year. 
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An Eclectic Traditionalist Oath-bound, Initiatory Wiccan Coven |
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