Photo Courtesy of Naomi Jiang ‘25
Lenox Johnson ’24
Staff Writer & Copy Editor
There’s something magical brewing in South Hadley. Blessed Bee, a woman-owned metaphysical apothecary, has been bringing witchcraft to the Pioneer Valley, and the Village Commons, since Sept. 2021.
AJ Johnson, founder and sole proprietor of Blessed Bee, was born and raised in the Pioneer Valley. Hailing from Sunderland, Massachusetts, Johnson has committed herself to cultivating a safe and inviting space for practitioners throughout western Massachusetts to congregate.
“[In this] social climate, … we’re all learning that there [are] a lot more male dominated industries out there,” Johnson said. “It’s important to know when there [are] woman-owned … businesses [because] there are individuals that want to support [people of] different kinds of backgrounds.”
Johnson first found herself pulled toward green witchery as a teenager. As she became more involved in the craft, she was enraptured by its overwhelming beauty and sanctity. Johnson considered herself a full witch at the age of 18.
“I started creating candle magic and doing magic in my everyday life [as a teenager] and it really affected my psyche in a very positive way,” Johnson said. “It brought forth a lot of self-love, confidence, caring and humility for not just myself, but for others. … It’s really opened my soul up to a lot more love.”
Within a month and a half of Johnson seeing the space for the first time, Blessed Bee opened its doors. Now an integral part of the Village Commons community, Johnson has committed herself to being a resource for witches of all backgrounds.
Blessed Bee is dedicated to the sale and production of sustainable and authentic metaphysical supplies. Respect and care of the earth are central values of the shop. With almost 500 different SKU numbers, products are sourced mostly within the New England, Massachusetts and Connecticut areas, with specialty items gathered from farther locations, such as Seattle and California. The shop places emphasis on the dedicated craftsmanship of all products, from fragrances to essences to body scrubs.
“The candles that we carry are pretty much made from seed to jarring by one person. I like to support makers that are really putting [in] 100 percent of their efforts throughout the entire process,” Johnson said. “[It is] really important for me to bring [them] in because I value that effort a lot.”
Johnson aims to cultivate an open, inviting space. Blessed Bee hosts a variety of classes and events to help bring together the wider community. In addition to teaching candle magic and shadow work, Johnson holds consultations for those who consider themselves “baby witches” and may not know where to begin. “I sit down and [ask], ‘What are your goals?’ and ‘What are the things that you want to learn about?’ [in order] to create a custom plan for them to move forward in their community,” Johnson stated.
The shop is partnered with tarot reader, teacher, earth mystic and healer Winifred Costello, who currently teaches Intro to Tarot at Blessed Bee. Patrons are able to touch upon various kinds of secular areas of magic based on the goals of their journey. Johnson explores different backgrounds of magic including voodoo, Celtic and North witchcraft, as well as the various cultural practices surrounding honoring different deities.
A fundamental aspect of Blessed Bee’s mission is its quarterly donation to honey bee conservation. The contribution is given to varying organizations within the western Massachusetts area. This quarter’s donation will go to Warm Colors Apiary, a local honey farm in Deerfield, Massachusetts. Johnson is committed to giving back to the earth by “saving the bees, one practitioner at a time,” the shop’s website says.
Part of Johnson’s inspiration to contribute to honey bee conservation is the work of her family’s flower farm, Montgomery Rose Company, which was once located on Route 9 in Hadley.
Blessed Bee is also working to counteract the stigma and negative connotations associated with witches in broader society. To Johnson, media portrayals of witches as ugly “goblin-type creatures with long noses and warts” and judgments of witchcraft as evil and practiced by sinners is not representative of authentic witches.
“People that are practicing witchcraft are really trying to hone in, honor, protect and support [the earth]. Green witches, like myself, do a lot of avid lake cleanups, town cleanups and cleaning of different rivers,” Johnson said. “It’s participation in helping the earth [become] better sustained [and] more healthy. I really want people to understand that versus what you see in the media. It’s really just helping the earth.”
Johnson is particularly moved by the constantly growing witching community at Mount Holyoke College. Johnson describes the interactions she’s had with the Mount Holyoke community as positive, warm and welcoming. “It’s a beautiful space [and] a really great program for the students that are involved,” Johnson said.
Johnson emphasized the importance of proper education of metaphysics and history within the community.
“A lot of [people] don’t even actually know the history of witchcraft in western Massachusetts because [they assume] it comes from Salem. [Really], it also comes from here,” Johnson said. “For example, the half-hanged woman of Hadley was tried three different times for witchcraft and survived. It’s a lot about education, as well as building that small family.”
One student expressed that the integration of Blessed Bee into the Village Commons has been a welcome addition to the Mount Holyoke community. Olivia Wissell ’24 is thrilled to have an apothecary so close to campus.
“It’s so cool to have a metaphysical store in South Hadley. … I really like that they have events students can drop by and participate in,” Wissel said. “I’m going to have to make it a more frequent stop on my way to Thirsty Mind.”
Johnson invites all individuals drawn to the witching community to cross the enchanting threshold of Blessed Bee.
“People are … looking for a space to learn and build a little family,” Johnson said.
Blessed Bee might be that space.