New Age refers to an array of products and beliefs ranging from Wiccan and Pagan practices, yoga, astrology and meditation – as well as retailers like Margaret Ann Lembo and Sandi Liss who sell items related to alternative spiritual beliefs.
Compendium, located in Seattle, specializes in selling New Age books, music and merchandise such as smudge sticks used to clear negative energy from spaces; crystals; and tarot cards for retail sale.
Crystals
Crystal Matrix in Los Angeles and House of Intuition in Santa Monica are among many new age stores that sell crystals and spiritual accessories, boasting healing frequencies which may benefit mind, body, and soul. The stores’ offerings range from colorful stones with aesthetic designs to those which claim they contain healing frequencies to help balance our mind bodies souls.
Many crystal enthusiasts believe that different crystals have specific properties, like bloodstones for health, rose quartzes for love and pink mangano calcites for sleep. These beliefs represent one variation on the correspondence principle – an occult belief that everyday objects have hidden connections to secret forces or forces of nature.
Studies suggest that moonlight can help cleanse crystals. To take full advantage of its effects, they should be left out during full moon nights for them to receive an infusion of fresh energy and rejuvenation. Crystals have also become popular as an effective form of protection from electromagnetic fields (EMF’s); many even place one or more on their mobile phones to protect from EMFs that might harm them.
Incense
Incense is an integral component of many religious and spiritual practices, creating a calm and serene environment and helping focus the mind during meditation and prayer. Used across Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism Islam and Judaism to clear away negative energy from a space while elevating mood and purifying an area, incense can bring tranquility.
Incense’s pleasant aroma can evoke emotions of creativity and positivity, making it a popular choice among artists and creative people. Additionally, incense can strengthen immune systems against infection and fight depression as well as induce sleep and even induce lucid dreams.
New Age stores may sell smudge sticks, which are bundles of dried herbs used to clear an environment or person of negative energies. Incense smoke contains air pollutants like particulates, volatile organic compounds and musk ketones/xylenes/aldehydes which may harm human health and cause respiratory irritation as well as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons/diethylphthalate toxins which could have negative health impacts.
Tarot Cards
Tarot cards, featuring various symbols and narratives, can assist with spiritual journeying by offering guidance and inspiration. Divination or providing insight and advice about specific situations or life events are often employed using Tarot cards.
The 78-card deck draws inspiration from various traditions, such as Renaissance art, Classical mythology and religion, Gnosticism & Christianity, Hermetic tradition, alchemy & occultism as well as popular culture and literature. Readers may use “spreads” to arrange cards in an appropriate pattern that addresses their question or issue at hand.
New Age stores sell more than just tarot decks; they may sell smudge sticks – bundles of herbs used in spiritual ceremonies – as well as products associated with this category, like Azure Green’s bumper stickers reading: “My Karma Just Ran Over Your Dogma” and “Practice Random Acts of Kindness.” Additionally, New Age stores may host classes like yoga, tai chi or meditation at Butler, NJ-based Crystal Garden or spiritual sessions at SoulJourney for their customers to participate in.
Books
New Age stores specialize in selling books on an array of spiritual subjects, such as meditation, yoga and animal communication. Many retailers also carry gift items like candles, incense and gemstones – some stores (e.g. Journeys of Life in Pittsburgh) even provide tarot card readings or classes!
New Age spiritualists tend to believe that history has been divided into various spiritual ages and that the world has fallen out of communion with its divine source, necessitating healing through spiritual practices.
New Age retailers rely heavily on wholesale jobbers and publishers for products for their stores, such as Inner Traditions of Middlefield, Massachusetts. Inner Traditions lists thousands of titles on its website with images depicting book covers as well as ordering details; similarly New Age Retailer provides monthly listings of newly released New Age books; some retailers even stock smudge sticks used in rituals.