Jul 29, 2007

Stop by this store, just for a spellBy Tony SpinelliConnPost.com

Monroe — An old-fashioned straw broom hangs on the wall at Talisman, a New Age gift and craft shop at 150 Main St., but nobody grabs it to clean house.

It’s a magical broom. “You would use it to sweep away the negativity in a certain area,” said Laura Lenhard, the Shelton resident who opened the shop nine months ago to offer spiritual and mystical artifacts from around the world.

African drums, used to beat out a hypnotic rhythm in a drum circle, are available alongside Mexican “Day of the Dead” skeleton dolls, known as “katrinas.”

The skeletons are not there to scare anyone. Rather, in the Mexican tradition they are reminders that life is short and people should enjoy the time the have, Lenhard said.

“I like them. They remind me of where I grew up in California,” she said, her voice tinged with nostalgia.

“There are a few stores like this here” in Connecticut, she added, “but they are all over the place in California.”

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