After a variety of tumultuous circumstances, the herbs and teas of Pickeyweedz have found a new home in Archbald.

Pickeyweedz originally opened its doors in Clarks Summit in 2020, only a few weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown that necessitated the suspension of all in-person storefronts. Husband-and-wife owners John and Tay Shenkel managed to weather the storm by opening an online storefront, which they’ve maintained ever since.

When the world reopened, they found a more permanent home in a building complex coming off Layton Road into Clarks Summit, but the location proved to be less than ideal.

“It wasn’t a very noticeable location. It was kind of tucked into a corner,” said John Shenkel. “Even then, we were in a building with a lot of doctors’ clinics, so the space felt very barren. It didn’t fit the feelings we wanted to project at all.”

When the space formerly occupied by Kramer’s Grill in Archbald opened up, the two seized the opportunity to have a more visible and customizable location. They noticed the difference immediately.

The store opened in its new location in early October. The couple plan on staying there for the foreseeable future.

“The space is a little bit smaller than the old one, but we don’t mind,” Tay Shenkel said. “The people around us are very friendly and the landlord who owns the building is very fair.”

Pickeyweedz is a “metaphysical” store, selling items of both a psychic and magical nature. The unique name came from the father of a close friend, whom they would go camping with prior to moving to Northeast Pennsylvania. “Pickeyweedz” was a term for the parts of the foliage that would stick to their clothes and skin as they walked through the forest.

“He’d joke that we were ‘always in the woods being pickeyweedz,’ ” said John Shenkel.

John and Tay Shenkel are practicing Wiccans, or “witches” in layman’s terms, but the two dislike labels and prefer being “just Tay and John.” Their practice, to them, is a way of projecting their feelings and ideals into the world, hoping that the positive, comforting energy welcomes and surrounds those who come into the shop and chat with them.

There are material components to the practice, though, and Pickeyweedz specializes in selling them. Tay Shenkel is a certified herbalist, and each and every provider is thoroughly vetted to make sure they are of the highest quality possible.

The back counter features dozens of herbs and mushrooms that have both magical and medicinal use. As an example, they carry Saint-John’s-wort; it has magical applications as a ward against depression, while medically it can be used to help with depression and various other mental illnesses.

However, Pickeyweedz is not a health clinic and can’t give medical advice, so it’s important to consult physicians before mixing or consuming any of the herbs they sell. Saint-John’s-wort, for all of its potential benefits, also interacts painfully with anesthesia as well as many different kinds of prescriptions. All of the containers they display their herbs in have important health information on them, in order to let people know what they might be getting into.

“It’s important to have an open discussion with your health team before mixing herbs willy-nilly,” Tay Shenkel said. “Herbalists are not doctors.”

Pickeyweedz also sells many kinds of teas, from elderberry to ginseng. They feature a different tea from their collection every day, so visitors can try a free sample or two before deciding if the flavor is something they’d like to buy. They also sell a large variety of gemstones, from birthstones to more obscure stones like prehnite.

In addition, they sell a variety of tarot cards and books teaching the meanings of each card, as well as several other books about both the psychic and magical fields.

Beyond what they sell, Pickeyweedz is also a certified safe space. Anyone of any age or background is welcome to come into their store, sit down, have a cup of tea and vent about what’s on their mind without the fear of being judged.

Pickeyweedz is located at 100 S. Main St. in Archbald, and is open on Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Those who want to check out their selection more in depth before stopping in can visit pickeyweedz.com or follow them on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. A Discord server is also available.

More info

Pickeyweedz is located at 100 S. Main St. in Archbald. The metaphysical store is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

For more information, visit the store’s website, pickeyweedz.com, or follow them on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. A Discord server is also available.