Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Topper.
Hi Rachel, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
The Gothicary was born of love, loss, healing — and a trip to Salem.
A few years ago, I lost my husband of 23 years, and suddenly found myself a widow, an empty nester, and 50 years old with a career in HR that was sucking the life force from me.
I went through a total identity crisis and essentially had to rebuild myself from scratch. During that time, I found myself healing by creating, building, and doing things completely outside my comfort zone.
I also found spirituality in magic and inner peace in knowing there is so much more to the universe than what’s right in front of us. I’ve always been drawn to healing, crystals, herbs, and all things magical, but during this period of my life, they took on a much deeper meaning.
Then I went to Salem.
I fell in love with the aesthetics, the history, the shops, and the overall energy of the town. It brought together so many things I loved in one place, and something just clicked. I knew I wanted to create a place that captured that same sense of curiosity, magic, history, and wonder — but in my own way.
So I came home and created The Gothicary.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It’s been incredible — truly better than I could have imagined.
Of course, it didn’t happen overnight. We tried a few different ways to get our name out there: local vendor markets, an online store, and eventually a vendor booth at The Painted Tree. When The Painted Tree declared bankruptcy earlier this year and abruptly closed its doors, we were forced to accelerate our plans for a brick-and-mortar location.
And, as all things that are meant to be eventually become, happenstance connected me with an incredible opportunity to take a space in downtown Leesburg.
We didn’t even think about it. We signed the lease and moved right in.
We had absolutely no idea what to expect, but the response has been beyond anything we could have imagined. We are humbled and honored to be part of a community that seems just as excited to have us as we are to be there.
There have certainly been bricks in the road, but so far, every one of them has helped build the path.
As you know, we’re big fans of The Gothicary. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
The Gothicary is a little gothic, a little witchy and a little unhinged.
I spend hours and hours creating and curating items from other small businesses and independent makers across the country. Most of our products are ethically sourced, vegan and made with love by magical people. We look for things that are unusual, beautiful, meaningful, funny — and sometimes just wonderfully weird.
Our store has three main pillars:
Edgar Allan Poe gives us the darkness and leads us into dark academia, tarot, horror, Victorian-era gothic lore and, of course, our ever-growing library.
Alice in Wonderland is our whimsy girl. She takes us down the rabbit hole to fun gifts, crazy art, literary treasures and bookish delights.
And then there’s Medusa, who gives us our feminine power. She leads us into the witchy, the mystical and all things goddess — as well as our entire cosmetics and beauty section (for the boys, too!). And eventually she takes us straight into our Simmering Feminist Rage, where we celebrate women who are powerful, complicated, outspoken, misunderstood and completely unapologetic about it.
What sets The Gothicary apart is that there really isn’t one kind of person who belongs here. You don’t have to be goth. You don’t have to be a witch. You don’t have to know your tarot card from your library card. You just have to be curious.
I think what I’m most proud of is the community that has formed around the store. People walk in and say, “I’ve found my people,” or “I didn’t know I needed this place.” And then five minutes later they’re laughing at a wildly inappropriate magnet or smelling every perfume in the store.
We take what we sell seriously. We do not take ourselves seriously.
The Gothicary is a place to explore the darker, stranger, funnier and more magical sides of yourself — and maybe leave with something you had absolutely no intention of buying.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
We love collaborations!
We’ve recently partnered with other small businesses and independent makers to create our own custom line of Gothicary products, including candles, perfumes and exclusive Gothicary merch. Supporting other small businesses is incredibly important to us, and we love finding ways to create something together that neither of us could have created alone.
We also love being part of our local community. We participate in community events and invite local artists, makers and performers into the store for events and live social media content. The Gothicary is meant to be more than a place to shop — we want it to be a place where people connect, create and have a little fun.
And the easiest way to collaborate with us? Come visit! Share your experience, tag us on social media, tell people about the weird thing you found that you absolutely had to have, and spread the word.
We’d love for you to tell all your friends — and your foes — about The Gothicary.
Pricing:
- Something for all budgets!
- Tons of items under $25
- Lots of options to fit your needs
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Thegothicary.com
- Instagram: @thegothicary
- Facebook: The Gothicary
Image Credits
Witchpix
