Huluppu: A Magical Bookshop has opened at One Main St. in North Bennington, Vt. Owner Janet Sleigh had "frequently visited Vermont with her parents, who were avid skiers. From age 5, she was put on skis, but what she remembers most is the car rides," the Bennington Banner reported.
"I still, all these years later, remember when we hit Vermont... the difference when we hit the white wooden farm houses... a stream next to the car. I would wish the car would stop so I could jump out and run into the woods," said Sleigh.
Sleigh, a shamanka (female shaman) and biodynamic craniosacral energy practitioner, hopes Huluppu will be a place of healing: "I hope it becomes more of a haven. There are a lot of people in need of love.... Wouldn't it be fun if people came and started making connections? And after Covid, getting back to understanding that community is far, far more important than a virus."
The word Huluppu "is believed to be traced to one of the world's most ancient stories, Gilgamesh, and is thought to refer to the World Tree, which connects earth, heaven and underworld," the Banner wrote, adding: "The store is decorated with wooden antique furniture and handmade tapestries, with a range of books from Christian mysticism to shamanic healing, witchcraft and a tarot deck for everyone in the family. A cozy nook in back is designated to clubs and groups--a spiritual development group, tarot club and jewelry-making workshops."
Tarot cards are Sleigh's primary interest, but she is excited to see what the community will take an interest in as well: "Wicca and witchcraft [are] very popular. But it's actually just the next newest thing. If you look at the books on wicca and witchcraft, you've got chakras for witches. For a very long time, chakras, yoga, the Vedas and Indian philosophy have been extremely popular. But people are moving away from that... so you have 'Yoga for Witches.' "
She also hopes to offer a book for everyone, noting that a "new generation needs something a little different from their parents.... It's not your normal bookshop. It's a mystical, magical bookshop."