House of Magick

Rung bell, waited 4 minutes, called store, rung bell again… None was answered in any way. Would like to check it out but can’t!

Greetings! My husband and I are new to the area. We were looking for a nice shop that would have a good energy and obviously good materials to buy for our own use at our home. I was really freaked out from the moment we arrived. I have never had a complaint about a shop before until this shop happened. We arrived at the front entrance and the door was locked. We almost left assuming they were closed, there was a sign that asked customers to either knock or ring the bell. Strangely we thought, we will give it a shot. So we did. No one came. As we almost left and gave up, a man in a nicely dressed suit answered the door and let us in. The atmosphere of the store as soon as I walked in was very very dark. My husband and I are very druid and spiritual. We picked up on some strange vibes as we looked around. The store does have nice supplies and is well organized. I am not downing their business. I am sure that part is fine. I am just remarking on the *personal vibes* that we had. The two men in the shop were polite but had a strange dark vibe as well. Something about the entire experience seemed off and not good. It also smelled of pot, to us. No one can try to use the whole Incense excuse on us either! This was the smell of pot, end of story! Camera’s were everywhere and yet the back door to the store was wide open. Very strange. I feel these guys dabble in dark magic. If you are sensitive as we are to spirituality, use caution when going in.

The person who owns House of Magick is man named John Reeves. He hires people to work under the table to run his business for him, exclusively. His general modus operandi is: hire someone for a few weeks, don’t train them, insult their intelligence when they ask to be trained, insult their appearance, their way of life, the way they walk, the way they talk, then tell them that he’s «trying to help them» by being insulting and he actually «loves» them. After a few weeks of abuse, most people generally snap and either quit, compare notes with other «employees», or confront him. He’s general response to being confronted is «this my business, so get the **** out», and when you ask to be paid for the time you’ve worked there his response is generally something like: «I owe you nothing, take me to court» or he’ll just threaten you with physical violence or the police (who already know him as a menace in Cudahy). Oh, and did I mention that he pays below minimum wage? that is if he doesn’t find a reason not to pay you.
Now, let’s talk inventory.
Majority of his merchandise can be found in the azuregreen catalogue. He generally buys merchandise from them and marks up the price 3 to 8 fold. Majority of his books and Tarot decks can be found in Barnes and Noble or used book and record shops for a much cheaper price. He’ll act like he’s giving you a great deal when he knocks 3 or 5 dollars off a book or a bag of herbs but, it’s just a trick, he’s actually conning you and is making anywhere 300 to 800% profit.
Health WARNING!
do not buy herbs from this store!
Mr. Reeves keeps them in the basement that’s been water damaged and has a serious mold, rodent and insect problem. The Herbs are generally sitting in an opened cardboard box, right on the floor and with the herb bags partially or sometimes fully opened. He brings them upstairs and has an employee, who is generally unaware, put them in new, unstained bags to be hung up on the herb reck left of the entrance.
This man has a history of employee abuse that stretches back to the 90’s, the only reason people are scared to do anything about it is because he’ll call and harass them with physical violence on the phone, or threatens them with magical curses, which sounds totally insane. Because many of his employees believe in and practice magic, they stay silent and don’t report his abusive activities out of fear of having a «curse» placed on them. I’m obviously not one of those people. John Reeves is a charlatan, a blowhard, and a poser who manipulates, threatens, verbally and sometimes physically abuses his employees.
If you care about your community and workers rights, I strongly encourage you to boycott this business.

House of Magick is a hometown favorite for me. It is a place of calm and peace and reflection. An entire era of my life was spent between these walls and I couldn’t be more grateful for the lasting memories and impact that it’s had on my life. This is the store that set the marker for all others, in my mind– and all because my friend wanted a psychic reading on a whim.
The shop is floor-​to-​ceiling, wall-​to-​wall stocked and yet tastefully organized with nary a misplaced item or the slightest hint of clutter. Whatever your need is, it will most certainly be met here. You will find all of the usual suspects: candles, oils, incense, tarot decks, crystals, ritual items (chalices, pentacles, athames, etc.), countless books, and the limitless resource of knowledge. No matter who you are, something will speak to you on a personal level and I doubt you will be able to leave empty handed.
On top of the amazing stock and store runner, there are regularly gatherings and store deals advertised on their website or mailing list that it is a shame to miss. The first gathering that I went to many items were on sale, dozens of people came out to socialize over various topics, share knowledge, and recommend products to one another. The community makes up just as important a piece of the pie here. This is all embraced by the shop owner who is polite, approachable, and helpful with everything from just finding the item you need to discovering the world of magick.
All these years after leaving Milwaukee, I’ve found that some things never do change in the ways that count. The same decks and crystals that I bought here in 2006 are in my hands today and I will probably keep them always.
I highly recommend House of Magick to everyone and doubt that you will be disappointed. Remember to stop by for Sabbats or inquire about their calendar of events!