By Vanessa Chesnut – NBCNews.com – Photo: Vanessa Chesnut for NBC News.
Photo: A picture of the shelves at the Botanica Original Company Products, in the Bronx, New York.
At the botánica Los Siete Arcángeles 2 in the Bronx, New York, visitors browse aisles offering herbs for a variety of ailments, aerosols that promise to ward off evil spirits and “Come to me!” votive candles that, once lit, can miraculously “ bring back your man.” These shops specialize in selling folk remedies and religious icons, though amid the colorful votives and amulets you can find household items like detergent and toothpaste.
