SOUTH HADLEY — Winnie Sanderson. Ursula the Sea Witch. The Wicked Witch of the West.

Though they’re fictional characters presented by actresses and animations, their depiction of witchcraft features meddlesome and downright evil behavior — trying to steal souls from children and the vulnerable — that has long fueled a negative perception of witches.

However, Ivy Johnson does not subscribe to the entertainment industry’s portrayal.

“Witchcraft has been demonized in pop culture,” Johnson said. “Witches are not something to be scared of.”

In an effort to break the stigma, two years ago, Johnson, who has been a practicing pagan since she was about 14 years old, opened Blessed Bee Apothecary in South Hadley’s The Village Commons at 21 College St.

The name for the apothecary, Blessed Bee, is a play on words, both sharing the “blessed be” phrase known within the pagan and other spiritual communities as a well-wish or salutation, and a nod to the store’s conservation efforts toward the honeybee.

“In my personal practice, I was always of the belief that when you’re given the opportunity to do something really big for yourself, you have to give back in some way to say thank you. So I chose the honeybee conservation efforts,” she said.

Each quarter, she donates a percentage of her proceeds to a selected beekeeper or apiarist. She also collects donations from patrons with a jar on the store’s counter. The store has donated nearly $3,000 toward those efforts, with the most recent recipient being Grimes Apiary in Brookfield. According to Johnson, Blessed Bee is committed to protecting Mother Nature by “saving the bees, one witch at a time.”

Johnson also makes it a point to do outreach about free health care, clothing and food resources through social media.

“It’s really important to me to be able to share resources in a way that isn’t shameful, and that’s a little bit more welcoming, so others know we’re going to get through this together,” she said.

After years of working for what she described as “corporate America,” Johnson embarked on some deep soul-searching following the lockdown as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I felt like I was just continuously fitting a corporate mold,” she said. “I wasn’t really willing to move forward in my life without being one thousand percent authentically myself.”

That, ultimately, led to the opening of what she touts as one of the Valley’s first witches’ apothecary. The space, she says, has provided her with some healing for her inner child and allowing her inner “lost boy” to play, bringing in elements of nature to the decor and not allowing herself to say “no” anymore.

“I just decided to do something that I love in my everyday life for my job and I wanted to basically incorporate, you know, all of my loves in one,” she said.

The metaphysical supply store and gift shop offers mostly handmade products, such as fragrances, essences, soaps, and body scrubs, by local or other witches from as far away as Ontario, Canada. Products also include jewelry, crystals, candles, herbal medicines, elixirs and ritual tools such as pendulums and palmistry guides.

Blessed Bee also hosts classes and events as a way to include more of the community.

Johnson also takes prides in Blessed Bee being a welcoming space for all, noting the diversity of pagan religious offerings, including Celtic, Ifá, Santería, Hoodoo, Vodou, Egyptian, Greek and Roman.

“I am trying to cover all the bases of traditional paganism and witchcraft from every background,” she said. “We are just trying to expand so that everybody’s got a place here.”

Blessed Bee is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from noon to 6 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Tarot readings are available by appointment between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, and from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

To learn more about classes or offerings, visit blessed-bee.com or call 413-438-0603.

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