A ghost hunt and paranormal
investigation of a well known Miami
Metaphysical Bookstore in haunted
Florida. This is the real thing ...
OR SO THEY SAY IT WAS!
Athene Book Store is gone. It is now
a Insurance company but the ghost
story lives on..... Those Who work
there now say the place is very haunted!
The haunted Occult Book
Store shop was located at, 6645 South
Dixie Hwy, US Hwy 1, Dadeland North
Shopping Center, Miami, Florida 33143
Story and Ghost Photos submitted by
Clare Jenkins of Haunted Miami, Florida
Ghost Hunters
Athene Books and Collectibles specializes
in beautiful gifts of all kinds,
from fine, imported crystal and
jewelry, to many one-of-a-kind items
from Africa, India, Europe, and
other exotic locations and a multitude
of precious occult treasures that
would interest any avid collector.
Athene's loving motto is "Food
for the Mind and Body" and
it is one of the few purveyors of
unique goods that has received the
endorsement of World Famous Psychic
Mickey of Miami.
There is a place where magic
still exists in Miami. Its story
unfolds like only a fairy tale could,
with true love. Like any timeless
legend there is excitement, tragedy
and heartfelt joy. Now let me tell
you the tale of what was Athene.
Charlie met Mary in New York at
a boutique trade show on September
15, 1980. No one could have seen
it coming but the two found themselves
in love. Mary was talked into moving
to Miami within 6 weeks and both
became Pinecrest residents. He asked
her after being here for a couple
of months what she wanted to do.
She said she wanted to open a metaphysical
bookstore and offer hard to find
supplies to Wiccan followers as
well as seeker of knowledge. In
February 1981 they opened a small
bookstore in the back of his already
successful gift store on Bird Rd.
They found some suppliers and started
going to marts and shows around
the country and later around the
world to find unique merchandise
for Mary's new store. In 1982 she
found a location in Coconut Grove
and her second location was born.
Athene is the name she used for
a retail consulting company she
started in Washington, DC before
she met Charlie. Her background
was in the retail women's clothing
business where she managed and ran
a group of stores in the 70's. She
had an art student design the logo
and since it is the Crete spelling
for the Greek goddess Athena whom
is the protectorate of the city
and goddess of knowledge she felt
it was perfect for the store name.
She became Athene in her editorials
in the newsletter she started in
1984. Athene has been an oasis of
relaxation and peacefulness in a
city of multicultural tensions and
strife since it's inception.
Some
people believe that Mary's dedication
to her little Haunted Miami, Florida
shop, and the fact that the famous
as well as the pedestrian held it
dear, was a main factor in protecting
Athene from the intense fury of devastating
Hurricane Andrew. When the colossal
storm battered through Florida in
1992, the shopping area around Athene,
including the strip shopping mall
where it is located, was entirely
destroyed -- Athene, however, was
left untouched. And by what Charles
Birnholz, says it was the power of
the two magical Peacock metal statues
Mary so dearly cherished and so loved.
Athene's
reputation for oddity only increased
after the death of Mary Birnholz,
who passed unexpectedly on January
17, 2001. Odd events began immediately
following her death leading many to
believe that Mary Birnholz, who held
the little shop so dear, was still
present and lovingly managing it from
beyond the grave ...
It has offered music, books,
knowledge, classes, informative
articles in its newsletter and a
place of positive energy filled
with powerful crystals and gifts
to combat the negatives of such
a diverse metropolitan city. Mary
created Athene and poured all her
energy into the store and buying
of books and merchandise for the
pleasure and enjoyment of her customers.
Her energy and inspiration also
extended to the Athene website,
Athene, Inc (www.atheneonline.com).
She always wanted to be remembered
for her contribution to the community
in supplying what was missing in
other businesses and hoped Athene
would be remembered as a positive
energy in a city of apathy and indifference.
Mary has been commended for the
service Athene has provided and
the resilience she has shown in
rebuilding after Hurricane Andrew
even in the face of her many medical
disabilities. She regularly corresponded
with the President and his wife
Hillary regarding immigration and
healthcare among other subjects.
She received a letter from our congresswoman
leana Ros-Letinen when the present
location opened in 1997. Charlie
even received a condolence card
from Bill and Hillary Clinton upon
her passing. The focus of Athene
moved to health and healing as the
80's moved along due `to Mary's
diabetes and all the complications
that go along with it. She searched
for information that might help
her and others with medical problems
that modern science was still learning
about.
The
original focus was never lost but
through the years new avenues were
added to the format of the store to
broaden the appeal and make the store
a unique experience. In January of
this year everything would change
for the loving couple and the store.
Mary went into the hospital for a
procedure and after two months of
complications, passed away. leaving
a husband devastated and a community
saddened.
After Mary's passing in January
Athene once again was hit with tragedy.
In March both a flood from a neighbors
broken water pipe and then an electrical
fire due to faulty repairs again
threw Athene's fate into question.
Although much of the store was not
burned, the damage from the smoke
and the damage to Charlie's heart
made him reexamine the future of
the store. Water is a symbol of
cleansing. To our Everglades fire
is sign of rebirth, a time to move
into the new. This became the theme
behind the reopening of Athene.
With a constant array of problems
from the insurance company to the
construction, it has been a constant
uphill battle for everyone in the
Athene family but out of the darkness
there was a beautiful light. This
light is the new hope for Athene
and all it stands for; the woman
who was its inspiration, the destined
love that brought her here, the
guidance it brings to those who
are seeking, and the everyday customers
who come in for a breath of something
sacred.
On January 18, 2001, a shipment
of Ghost Balls (used by occultists
partly as decor and partly to capture
troublesome ghosts wherever they
may be) arrived as scheduled and
this is when most say the haunting
of Athene truly began. As soon as
the Ghost Balls were inventoried
and placed around the shop for sale,
strange events began to occur. Each
morning the shop management would
be astounded to find the ghost balls
had moved overnight. Sometimes there
were subtle differences, one ball,
for instance, moved from one side
of a large display case to the other;
sometimes the movements were obvious
and completely unexplainable: Once
a ghost ball was found in the employee's
break area -- INSIDE the small refrigerator
used by the employees to keep their
lunch and perishable foods.
Over the years, the ghost balls
from that shipment were sold, and
there have been reports of strange
occurrences, one of whom is Famous
Mickey of Miami. She calls her ghost
ball "Mary" and has given
it a place of honor on her bedroom
vanity. "I like to think Mary
is looking out for me, too,"
Mickey has said.
A single Ghost Ball from that original
shipment is kept in the store today
as a memento mori, a little reminder
of the ever present watchful eye
of Mary Birnholz.
If pennies are offered for thoughts,
as the old saying goes, then one
of the entities that haunts Athene
has a growing interest in what its
patrons are thinking ... Pennies
can show up anywhere in the shop.
Sometimes they are sitting there
on the counters or floors as if
dropped haphazardly and perhaps
by anyone. But other times pennies
are found in places they should
not be -- in an unused plastic bag,
in a sealed box, in the bottom of
a sealed bag of sugar -- and it
is these "spirit coins"
that puzzle both management and
patrons alike. Like mysterious "crop
circles," the pennies sometimes
seem to have been methodically placed
in specific patterns: circles, triangles,
and the classic Celtic "triskele"
seem the most popular patterns,
but the placement varies. And the
appearance of these pennies is made
even more strange when one takes
into account that they have apparently
been placed there deliberately and
after the shop has been cleaned
and locked for the night. It was
Mickey of Miami who, upon scrutiny
of one such penny-crop circle (as
the patterns are affectionately
called) discovered an interesting
and significant fact: all of the
pennies were minted in the lifetime
of Mary Birnholz (1939 - 2001).
There are none older and none minted
past 2001. Mickey, of course, believes
that it is Mary herself placing
the coins, and some long-time patrons
of the shop have reported finding
similar patterns of pennies on the
floors, counters and steps of their
own homes. Can this be Mary's way
of sending largesse from the other
side?
Mary is survived by
her husband Charles Birnholz, and
it is he who now owns and operates
this latest incarnation of his wife's
beloved Athene. Charles, like many
other friends and patrons, firmly
believes that Mary is still a very
real and active part of the family
business, but he admits that it takes
a very special person to work in the
shop.
"Not everyone can put up with
the little signs of Mary's continuing
presence," he says "Things
moving, the typical bumps and footsteps,
disembodied voices and fragments
of favorite songs -- to me, it's
like still having Mary around. But
sometimes we get an employee who
finds it hard to adapt to an unseen
shop manager. And I fully understand
this." In life, Charles continued,
Mary often showed her displeasure
in subtle ways. "She was not
temperamental, but the occasional
outburst would occur." He believes
that even today, when Mary does
not approve of a business decision
or the placement of inventory, or
has misgivings about a client or
patron, she still vividly contributes
her opinion.
Charles readily recalled the time
when he was considering moving several
of Mary's favorite items (used as
shop decor and not offered for sale).
"I wanted to change things
up a bit," he said, "bring
some new energy in." But he
soon abandoned his plan when one
night, completely alone in the shop
and moving some minor brick a brack,
he was astounded by the sound of
shaking and rattling. His eyes were
immediately drawn to a set of metal
and enamel Oriental Victorian peacocks,
rattling and shaking of their own
volition.
"I said out loud: 'OK, Mary,
when you want this stuff moved,
you let me know.' The rattling immediately
stopped." As a side note, the
peacocks, which Mary acquired by
mysterious means and owned prior
to her marriage to Charles Birnholz,
have all the attributes of real
"Guardians" of the shop
and the people in it. Charles relates
that Mary often credited the gilded
birds with helping to fend off the
ravages of Hurricane Andrew.
Paranormal encounters are an almost
daily occurrence, and their frequency
has increased dramatically since
Mickey of Miami began performing
readings for several of her most
prestigious clients in the confines
of the shop. Originally thought
of as a favor to her old friend
Charles, Mickey's readings have
apparently been the catalyst to
all sorts of previously unreported
paranormal events.
Patrons and employees have reported
witnessing actual levitations while
Mickey is on the premises. Heavy
objects, solid balls of quartz and
crystal, have reportedly lifted
as much as 1 to 2 inches in front
of several witnesses while Mickey
is conducting her sessions. Magical
tools, antique occult items, and
even simple bottles of oils relocate
seemingly right under the noses
of employees and for the first time
there are reports of ghostly sightings
in the shop.
Even Mickey of Miami is not immune
to the encounters. aand she feels
many, many real outside ghost come
and visit Athene very often not
that just of Mary. "I have
left my reading room and come back
only to find whole decks of cards
spread out across the table where
I had just neatly stacked my deck,"
she says. "One of my favorite
crystal balls went missing for three
days and turned up without a big
fanfare on the fourth day, back
on its stand where I last saw it."
Though many people would be rattled
by such direct encounters, and others
might take it a bit "too"
personal, Mickey is entirely prosaic:
"Mary was a great friend of
mine in life and we often talked
about how we might communicate with
each other, once one of us had passed
on to the other side. It's just
Mary's way of telling me she's still
around, and I find it extremely
comforting to know I'll see her
again someday."
Dr. Elham Kharabi Acupuncturist
physician and is a practitioner
of oriental medicine who specializes
in hypnotism, chinese herbology,
and massage therapy. he also teaches
Chi Kung and Tai Chi. He is available
to shop patrons where he is commonly
known as" Dr. Feel Good."
Kharabi may have had the most dramatic
experience yet with the ghost of
Mary Birnholz. While staying late
in the shop one evening to pick
out a selection of Oriental herbs
and oils from a new shipment, Dr.
Kharabi heard a female voice say
"Hello!" Looking up from
his task, he was struck dumb by
the sight of Mary Birnholz's image,
only head and shoulders visible.
"She looked right at me and
said, 'Welcome Dr. Feel Good!' The
next minute, she was gone!"
Dr. Kharabi admits that the very
NEXT minute he, too, was "gone"
having decided to make his selections
the next day when the shop was open
for business as usual!
Athene hosts several Psychic Fairs
each year and employees and patrons
are often treated to small reminders
that Mary is still around. During
one recent Fair the shop's music
abruptly stopped and simply restarted
by itself; upon investigation, nothing
unusual was found with the stereo
system. On another occasion a patron
turned away for a moment and placed
his bag with a recent purchase on
the shop counter; when he turned
back to it, the bag was missing.
Theft was at first suspected, until
the patron's bag was discovered
hanging from the beak of one of
Mary's Guardian peacocks ....
Fair participants and other psychics
have suggested that Mary's is not
the only energy clinging to the
shop. Charles Birnholz has pondered
who the other entities in the shop
might be and he believes that this
must be the remnant energy of someone
who loved the shop as much as Mary
did or to whom the shop was an important
psychic support system. Photos taken
during the Psychic Fairs, lectures
and other shop events are riddled
with orbs and other evidence of
ghostly energy, including shadows
and what looks to be a vortex in
several photos. Since many of the
photographs have been submitted
by patrons, Charles Birnholz cannot
testify to the veracity of the evidence,
but says he would not be surprised
to find the evidence true.
Lynette, a local astrologer
renowned as much for her talents as
for her amazing resemblance to famous
New Orleans Voodoo Queen Marie Laveau,
states without hesitation that the
spirit of Mary Birnholz is very active
but "not alone." I know
that their or many ghost in this shop.
I feel them here, and see them and
hear them everyday." Lynette
feels people bring ghost with them
to Athene, and the sprits just find
the place so happy so pleasent they
stay and visit us for a while.
Ms. Edith, Known as the great Miami
Aroma therapy Queen, who also manages
the store, states that she knows
for certain when Mary is around:
"She's helped me find the shop
keys when I'm in a hurry to get
out and has also set the shop alarm
for me!" But Edith agrees that
there may be spirits of other "old
friends" still clinging to
the shop.
Other members of the Athene staff
including Christina a trance Medium,
Josie, Kim, Jon The Cuban King of
Miami Magic and Tina "The Sage
Queen" have all had experiences
or ghostly encounters with the ghost
of Mary Birnholz or one of the other
spirits abounding in the shop, and
are happy to tell about them. None
of them has reported feeling threatened
or frightened at any time. "It's
always present," says Tina,
"it's something that you are
always aware of, like when you have
a co-worker present in the next
room: only this co-worker is invisible
... "
Mickey of Miami is heading a full
scale investigation into these interesting
Haunted possibilities in the Athene
Miami Shop. She has set up many
camera's and has quite a few EVP"s.
" Sometimes I just sit here
and feel the pleasent love they
offer me. othertimes they speak
to me clearly ." Says Mickey
of Miami." I enjoy the Shop
very much and The ghost just make
it a happier place for me to be."
Athene, named for the Greek Goddess
of Wisdom, stocks many hard to find
magical supplies and rarities, and
can obtain many items for the true
occultist upon request. Athene has
been a metaphysical source in the
South Florida area for nearly 20
years with access to thousands of
books, audio's, gifts and accessories.
Their focus is health and healing
with an overview of alternative
philosophies and religions.
Let us help you find your
Most “Haunted America Tours”
destinations!
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