Best Hippie Shop

The Sword and Rose

85 Carl (at Cole), 681-5434

The best part about this occult shop is getting there. First you walk gingerly between two buildings and into a verdant, cozy patio. At the rear you come to a little hobbit hole surrounded by vines. Open the door and you enter a dimly lit, tiny, wonderful-smelling oasis of calmness. There are armchairs, altars to Isis, a table in the corner for tarot readings, and a whole wall of house-made incense. The tarot readings are thorough, sliding scale, and done on a well-worn Thoth deck; it's poor man's psychotherapy, only more hopeful. After your reading the practitioner can recommend an incense blend to ease you through whatever lies ahead. Don't be intimidated; the people who work here are surprisingly down-to-earth, friendly, kind, and eager to assist you in whatever you seek.