New York City · Chapter 6

Merrick Salvador

Bring a question to The Crooked Candle and Merrick Salvador will make time for it. He’ll give you the benefit of his experience. He’ll also expect you to decide for yourself.

Merrick is fifty-two, Pagan, and happily married to his college sweetheart, Matteo. Years behind the counter of his New York occult shop have given him a patient ear for a beginner’s question and some fairly strong opinions of his own.

The back room

On a Friday evening, sixteen people have pulled up chairs at his long wooden tables for a lesson on lunar correspondences. Looking around at them, Merrick feels fortunate. This is a part of his life he loves.