The next time you need a mojo bag, a self-esteem candle or some "get a job" oil, look no further than The Sacred Bee, a metaphysical shop on East Main Street in Grass Valley.

Since Paul and Andrea Racko opened their doors last September, they've kept the community supplied with all variety of magic potions and accouterments, all designed to help people create harmony in their lives.

While the twin towns of Grass Valley and Nevada City already have a reputation for being magical, it seems that locals can't get enough mojo. The couple says business has been bubbling.

In addition to metaphysical supplies, in-house priestess and clairvoyant Andrea Racko gives psychic tarot readings and teaches classes in subjects as diverse as rune readings, the Wicca religion and self-esteem.

"We just try to help people improve their lives," Andrea Racko says.

To the uninitiated, the word "magic" might have a dark connotation, but the Rackos promote people taking action to bring about positive changes in their lives.

"It's all about creating harmony rather than disharmony," explains Paul Racko.

Psychic that she is, Andrea Racko finishes her husband's thought.

"Everything in the universe is a relationship between energies," she says. "You just have to catch the right energy."

Pagan rituals and worship pre-date Christianity, which itself borrowed from pagan traditions as it moved across Europe. For example, Christmas falls on the winter solstice, a traditional pagan holiday celebrating the rebirth of light. Christmas trees started with a tradition honoring the Norse god Odin, that later was adapted by German Catholic reformer Martin Luther.

Honeycomb tiles

The Rackos moved to the area from Long Beach last spring, drawn by the reputation of local schools and the small town's relative safety from urban dangers.

After three months of scoping out locations for their shop, they decided on the Grass Valley property, opening their doors in September. The dealmaker for them, they say, besides affordable rent, was the yellow hexagonal tiles on the walls of the shop's kitchen, which they saw as a good omen. In ancient Greek religion, Aphrodite was known as the queen bee and her priestesses, worker bees.

The Sacred Bee's front door jingles pleasantly. Visitors are greeted by the smell of wafting incense, which provides a calming respite from the bustle of passing cars on East Main Street.

Andrea Racko zeroes in on her interlocutors with an unwavering gaze. She looks the part of a Greek priestess, with her light blue eyes and flowing red hair.

But in her interactions with customers, she can be pragmatic. She says she will always suggest mundane solutions such as restraining orders or substance abuse counseling if someone comes in describing scenarios of domestic violence or binge drinking.

The Rackos insist on drawing a line between white and gray magic, which they support, and black magic, which they oppose.

"There's a tremendous misconception out there, that if it's not white magic, it's bad," she says.

White magic involves taking action to better yourself or strengthen your connection to the divine, according to the book, "Modern Magick," by Donald Michael Kraig.

Gray magic crosses the boundary outside of the self. One might use gray magic to seek healing for another person or ask for material changes in one's own life, such as wealth or a change in relationship status.

By contrast, black magic involves harming others, which the Rackos counsel against.

"We believe in karma," says Paul Racko. "If you harm others, that will come back to you."

Skeptics might doubt the connection between burning a green cat candle and bringing luck and money in to their lives. The Rackos claim that their clients have seen results.

Last fall, the Rackos say, an unemployed man came into the shop hoping to change his luck. Andrea Racko sold him some Get a Job Oil and Fast Action Oil (a secret recipe she refused to divulge). The client anointed his forehead and wrists with the oils and dabbed some on the corner of his resume before going to interviews. Three days later, he returned.

"You guys have any free time oil?" he asked frantically.

He had landed three part-time jobs in one day.

The Sacred Bee on 1451A East Main Street is open between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. For more information, go to thesacredbee.com or call 272-6427.

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To contact Staff Writer Jill Bauerle, e-mail w or call 477-4219.