On a sunny afternoon in Burbank, the front door of The Green Man creaks open and the scent of sage, sandalwood, and something indefinably earthy drifts out. Inside, shelves glow with candles, herbs, crystals, and hand-blended oils. A wall of books invites browsing, and a cheerful blackboard lists upcoming classes — everything from tarot to herbalism. The place feels both grounded and otherworldly. It’s exactly what co-founder Jill Weiss wanted to create when she and her partners launched the shop in 2010.
The Green Man started as a whisper of an idea: a gathering place for alternative spirituality, somewhere to teach, learn, and stock quality supplies that weren’t just mass-market novelties. She, her husband Joe, and her magical working partner Carrie, began sketching out possibilities.
“We were sitting at our kitchen table with a bottle of wine, by the end of the night we’d written a business plan.”
By the end of that bottle of wine, they had not only a business plan but a name, The Green Man, the leafy-faced figure from medieval carvings, symbolized rebirth and nature’s cycles. “It felt like the perfect patron for what we wanted to do.” Also, their manager, Griffin, is British, and said that many pubs in England are named The Green Man, so it seemed fitting!
The first few months were scrappy. They rented a modest space, painted walls themselves, and hired Griffin to run the store and teach classes. All three owners kept their days jobs, handling invoices and ordering merchandise at night and weekends.
The gamble paid off. Word spread quickly, and within a year The Green Man had become a fixture in Los Angeles’s pagan and spiritual community. People came not only to shop but to learn — tarot, astrology, herbalism, shamanic practice — and to find others on a similar path. “It’s not a head shop,” Jill emphasizes. “It’s a learning space, a community hub, a place where people can explore.”
What makes The Green Man different from countless metaphysical stores across Southern California is the deliberate curation of both staff and offerings. Jill hires knowledgeable practitioners who can guide customers, not just ring up sales.
“If someone walks in asking for help with a ritual or a dream interpretation, we have people who can speak from experience.”
Classes are central to the mission. Over the years the shop has hosted everything from magical candle-carving workshops to classes on various forms of spell crafting and astrology. Some regulars drop by for incense and crystals; others find their lifelong spiritual path.
“We’ve seen people go from curious beginners to skilled practitioners who now teach here,”
The shop also serves as a refuge.
“Not everyone has family who understands their spiritual interests. We’ve become a kind of chosen family.”
Serious spirituality at The Green Man is leavened with humor “Magic doesn’t have to be grim,” Jill says. “Laughter is part of the practice.”
Jill is especially passionate about crystals; Carrie about herbs; Joe about energy healing. “Every candle or blend we make is crafted with intention — what plant spirits support what outcome, how scents interact.” That knowledge is reflected in the shop’s handmade oils, candles, and incenses.
Running a spiritual business isn’t all crystals and candles. There are rent increases, slow months, and shifting trends. The pandemic hit particularly hard, forcing The Green Man to move classes online and reinvent its retail model almost overnight. “We learned to livestream readings, to ship kits for classes, to keep people connected even when they couldn’t come in,” Jill says. The adjustments not only kept the shop afloat but expanded its reach beyond Burbank. Today the shop’s Zoom classes are accessed worldwide.
Fifteen years in, The Green Man is thriving but still evolving. Jill, Carrie, Griffin, and Joe are mentoring a new generation of teachers and staff who can carry the mission forward. “We’re not just selling stuff,” she says. “We’re tending a living tradition. I’d like to see it continue long after we’re gone.”
Today, walking into The Green Man feels a little like entering an old-world apothecary crossed with a lively village square. Regulars greet staff by name. The bulletin board brims with flyers for upcoming rituals, drum circles, and lectures. Jill moves easily among customers, answering a question about candle colors, then recommending a book on crystals, then swapping jokes with a visiting teacher.
The store has also become an incubator for local artisans — from candle-makers to jewelry designers — whose goods line the shelves. “Supporting local makers is part of our ethos,” Jill says. “It keeps the magic real, grounded in people’s hands rather than mass production.”
As she reflects on the journey from Accountant to shopkeeper, teacher, and community builder, Jill smiles.
“We created the kind of place everyone needs when starting out, a place where you can ask questions, learn, buy what you need, and feel welcomed exactly as you are.”
The Green Man
824 N. Hollywood Way
Burbank, CA 91505
Originally published in www.theburbankblabla.com
