On an autumn day, three generations of goddesses and business owners—Holly Nicole; her mom, Heather Vagedes; and her mom, Donna Brown, a crystal residence therapist—are gathered at the boutique Pink Moon in Covington, which opened on Oct. 21.
This is their second location—in July, they opened at Trade at Newport on the Levee. Tarot decks, crystals, clothing, lingerie, candles, a book on spell work, and Joe Burrow earrings are on display against soothing Millennial pink walls. Before the retail moved in, LINK nky occupied the cozy space, back then bereft of the pink and the supernatural.
“We’d been dreaming about it for years. We were always talking about it, and then we said we’re should do it,” Vagedes said.
“We really liked Covington, and we wanted to get in before the holidays, and this seemed a perfect spot because it was right on the main strip,” said Nichole, who has beautiful fuchsia hair to go along with the pink theme.
Unlike their nearby neighbor Hierophant and Hedge, Pink Moon doesn’t quite wear its enchantment on its sleeve.
“I think holistic and new age, even though these words are supposed to sound progressive, remind you of a wood shop from your grandmother’s day. Everything’s supposed to look a certain way. It’s kind of dated and mystical and dragons and fairies. It’s not just a witch store.” In fact, Nicole offered on a daily basis, people do spell work without realizing it. “It’s as simple as your mom making you a tea when you’re sick and she’s stirring it and saying, ‘I hope you feel better,’” she said. “There are the intentions of literal spells that are just an intent like that.”
The name Pink Moon comes from an actual phase of the moon and the pink-hued flower the creeping phlox. “I was really into trying to find something with meaning, and it’s new beginnings,” Vagedes said. “I was really into the Triple moon goddess. This is crazy: the crone (old woman), the mother, and the maiden. And that is kind of us.”
“It’s almost like a manifestation. It literally is changing your mind,” Nicole said. “I didn’t want anything that sounded old fashioned. I think it’s the way it’s presented to you, too: Is this ominous? That’s kind of the whole reason for the way of setting it up in the aesthetic. We do have people that maybe have a little bit of a reaction, but it’s one out of 20. We had people in full Amish garb come in and they were like, ‘Oh, not for us.’ But it’s fine.”
“And we all love pink,” Brown said.
However, the women want it to be a place for all walks of life, even non-believers.
“Everybody can glean something no matter where you are on the spectrum of practicing and belief, spirituality, and religion, and everything,” Nicole said. “It’s almost like we’re slipping it in a way that’s easily digestible for younger people, and women in general. Because you have a lot of moments where you feel like you do need guidance on your path and you’re not really sure.”
Tarot cards have become mainstream, but crystals—not as much. Brown once did a healing session on Vagedes.
“It really was awesome,” she said. “When we open up, it’s almost like a new way of thinking. I wasn’t really expecting anything to happen, and it really was nice. You can even hold a crystal yourself and talk to yourself, asking for help from your higher power, your counsel, and your ancestors.”
The three women are Florence natives, but Nicole lived in Los Angeles for 10 years, Vagedes lived in Arizona, and Brown worked as a flight attendant stationed in Salt Lake City. After working in L.A.’s fashion industry, Nicole returned home to fill a regional void.
“I feel that in the fashion end here, there isn’t as much,” Nicole said. “You can’t walk into a store in the mall and pick out something that you see on TV or the internet and things like that. I know that online shopping is so big, but we do still love to go in and see something and touch it.”
Most of their clientele happen to be women, but men are also welcome. They’re proud to be women owned, and thankfully, they have strength in goddesses.
“We like to tell everybody [we’re a women-owned business], because I do think that it is an empowering thing,” Nicole said.
“My mom has always been a strong person,” Vagedes said. “I definitely learned it from her.”
Adds Nicole: “I think the women in my life have been the strongest, and they’ve been the ones to get things done. Not at all to man shame, but in my own personal experience in my own life so far, it’s always been a woman to make it happen.”
Pink Moon is located at 621 Madison Ave., Covington, and Newport at the Levee (One Levee Way), Newport. pinkmoonpath.com